The Shepherds Crook
by Agnomen Loki
Summary: The village of Burgess is under the threat of siege by the wild men of the forest, Jack must find out what he owes the world as it is up to him to stop the terrible wild men and retrieve his name as a properly established man of the village. Set 300 years back, 2 years before the ice incident.(NO SLASH)(Contains Abuse/whump, bad language, mention of rape and disturbing scenes).
1. Introduction: The spring Lambs

**Hello, my good friends.**

**It is I, Loki.**

**I am fresh from recently watching Rise Of the Guardians. I've just had a shower, wrote down a quick plot skeleton and I am now presenting my own fic as my Danny Phantom fiction is very close to the end, whilst Homeward Bound has hardly begun, Muhahaha!**

**Anyway, I must have cried, laughed and died like a messy animation set on loop in that cinema. Dreamworks have really presented themselves with a flipping magnificent chance to pat themselves on the back. AWESOME MOVIE! Watch it before you read this as this fic contains major spoilers. **

**I'll have to say there were a few plot holes in the movie but they were sort of over looked... NOW! We travel 315 years back to the cold scape of Burgess!**

**Warning: Contains NO SLASH or established relationships, rated because of curse words and possibility of abuse/whump... I don't trust myself with this character! (set mainly before the events of ROTG).**

**Disclaimer: As much as I would fangirl all over the place if I did, I don't own ROTG, that master piece belongs to Dreamworks! Oc/cameo characters and plot belong to me! :U **

**Introduction**

**~*The spring lambs*~**

Jack hated winter. Winter always brought the cold which carried death like a tedious war horse. Of course Jack didn't know war, his father only spoke stories of the dreaded thing to him; his twin brothers and dear sister.

Father was ill again. He always was when it turned cold, sometimes the frozen boy wondered whether the man simply didn't want to watch sheep graze while sitting in the biting snow.

The Saturday morning was just like any other weekday; Jack led the sheep onto the hill so that they could snuffle around in the snow in the vain hope to catch a blade of grass or two. This routine was continuous in the cold months when the ewes were with lamb and the spring lambs were weaning. In the summer they were grazed by the house, where there was no need to sit and watch the dull activity of which the dim livestock partook.

The weary teen yawned into a hand as he silently urged the sun to cascade down into the mountains and not return until he had caught up on his sleep.

Jack had chocolate coloured eyes that matched his flyaway mane of russet hair. He was sitting up against an old, dead tree that lurched from the ground, his legs crossed and arms wrapped around himself, holding his brown over-cloak tightly. The white woollen shirt and small brown open vest doing little to preserve the warmth his lanky body was emanating.

He had been sitting there since dawn and now the sun was steadily beginning to submit to the great moon. There was a band of red in the sky, and Jack couldn't help but feel that tomorrow would be a better day: Red sky at night, shepherds delight. Or so the saying goes; its never been wrong so far.

Tomorrow was particularly good because Sundays were special days. Sundays were the only day in the week where Mother would put her foot down and say Jack needed a day off from herding sheep up the hill, in the freezing cold.

Jack smiled to himself as a spring lamb attempted to suckle from its own mother. The ewe, which was fat with its next lamb, looked tired and angry with this lamb. All the spring lambs were fat and nearly as big as their dams. Though the lambs were greedy and ate the spoiled grass while also trying to thief from their mother's milk preserves.

The mother tiredly forfeit to the demands of her hungry offspring and the lamb had to get down on its knees to find her udders. Jack couldn't help but laugh as the ewe practically rolled her eyes in irritation. He thought about knocking the lamb away, they needed to stop being such parasites, but he decided to stay where he was. It would be soon that these lambs would be taken away forever, either for their families' stomachs or to be sold down at the village.

_Let them have their fun, while they still can. _

Jack's family were actually a big part of the small village of Burgess. They owned the house that overlooked the village along with the fields upon the hill that overlooked Jack's house. Behind the fields on the top of the hill was the forest. People only went in the forest to hunt the deer or sometimes boar. However the forest was always the line of which Jack focussed his gaze upon because of the wolves.

The cows were kept further down by the village. Jack's family only owned half of the cattle herd, the rest belonged to the butcher by right of an old agreement between the two families. The wolves never bothered with the cows, which was why Jack had to keep his eye on the tree line; they liked the sheep.

Last winter a pair of hungry wolves came down from the mountains to worry the sheep. Jack scared them off with the exception of losing a single ewe and her lamb that had bolted in the panic.

Jack had never of thought he would rather be mauled by wolves than to return home that night. Why? Because his father was a strict bastard that's why.

"Two bloody pups, n' you go fretting the herd!?"

His dad was a little miss-aimed as he thumped the young boy, though he couldn't help but notice his father wasn't so brutal as usual; because in the end, the old git knew that it wasn't his son's fault.

Jack absently rubbed his sides, the very memory made him numb; that's how it is.

The poor go to public school and then work at a young age, much like how his little twin brothers would turn out. Though Jack was born into the Verdandi family at a more favourable time where the sheep herd was abundant and the cattle had lusher grass. Jack went to public school like the other boys in the village before he went back home to be taught by his father. He became the Shepherd. He took the role of his father young and had been out in the winter alone, his father saw no need to lumber up to see if his frozen son was okay after the first warmer months Jack had 'graduated'.

Jack counted himself lucky, Most boys went to work younger than he did. His sister wasn't even allowed to go to school! He knew his mother used to try and teach her, but sometimes his sister would ask a question and his mum: Lilly, would pause and stare out behind her while she considered the enquiry.

Jack didn't like that his sister couldn't attend school, he loathed that his mother, sister and the young woman of the village were set aside because of their gender.

His sister was like a smaller version of his mother, with hair that fell down to the elbows, wonderful brown hair. Her eyes were big, round and intelligent, just like Jack's.

His sister was called Emily, he loved Emily. So he had started to teach Emily what he knew and learnt from school.

Jack also had two little twin brothers. Both were shorter, and shier. The result of their grumpy father, go figure.

Jack's father was like the other husbands in the village: Supreme with hard hits and great expectations. Every boy knew the hard hand and the clip of an ear. It was a common saying: _Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it._

Although, Jack's father seemed to take the saying a little to literal, making life hell for him. Though the old man seemed to have mellowed as he got older, that or the fat, git was too lazy to reach for the wooden shepherds crook that was hung from a wall above the fire place within the house, just bellow a plaque that read out the very proverb.

He found himself curling in a bit as he recoiled from the cold, the wind seemed to have picked up and the sheep bleated softly to him, waking him from his musing.

The boy sighed softly, the moon appeared to be brighter in its wake, which was a good sign that it was time to move the sheep back down the hill into the only field that had a fence and a gate.

Luckily the ewe's felt the cold and closed in behind him as he trudged through the snow.

The lambs called out softly behind as they too followed.

Jack led the sheep down the hill and waited every now and then as a few would stop and gaze off into the distance. Seeing the sheep gaze so aimless and carefree made Jack _feel human,_ because they didn't know anything.

They did not know of war, of swords and the wild men that stole the farmer's fat pigs. They didn't know of the world beyond where he allowed them to graze or about the village feuds or of their many human fears. The sheep only knew how to be sheep.

Jack found himself leading the sheep into their field, and shut the old wooden gate behind. He made double sure that the string was tight and secure, fearing a repeat of the year they had escaped the field and further scattered all across the hill side. Sheep always felt like scattering at inconvenient times.

The sheep then huddled together in a big cosy group by the wall of the old barn. Jack looked up at the skies as it began to snow for the fourth time that day, behind him the moon was visible, but he didn't care to look at it. The moon would be there tomorrow.

He rubbed his hands together and breathed warm air into them as he continues around the stone building to the house front. The Verdandi house was one of the oldest in the village. The log cabin down by the stream being the very first. Their house was stone with wooden framework whilst the rest of the village were made from mainly wood.

The young boy leaned forward towards the door to open it but was beaten by Emily who appeared to be stoked by his arrival. "Jack's here! Jacks here!" She squeaked in excitement.

Jack chuckled brightly and lifted her up to swing her onto his bony hip and carried his little sister inside, shutting the door as he passed.

Emily was talking to him and he listened only half-heartedly. He was more interested in the warm smell of broth that made his stomach growl angrily; _FEED ME! _

Emily giggled as Jack placed a cold hand on his abdomen.

"Mommy's waited for you Jack," Emily told him happily, "She said we should eat together, Mummy said its proper to eat at the table together. But we never really do, at least we do but you're not always there."

"That's nice," Jack smiled almost to himself.

The stairs to the second floor were to the left of the hall as you opened the front door. They led up into a smaller corridor with three doors that led to the separate bed rooms.

Back down stairs was the kitchen which opened up into the dining area. In the middle of the hall was the sitting room, where the fireplace was. And then the last room at the end was the door that led to the underground stables where father kept his heavy, hairy work horse: Ben.

There was three other stables and a small area for storing hay and feed. The ramp then lead up to wooden doors into the barn. The wooden doors locked from the inside. This is because the wild men used to steal the cattle or the horses, so the stables were built under the house to protect the more valuable animals.

Jack found himself in the kitchen with his sister hugging him as he supported her weight on his skinny thigh. He found the twins sitting next to each other on the furthest end of the table near to the sink and kitchen area surface. His father was sitting, laying back against his chair on one length. Mother was fussing over the pans that simmered over the open fire.

Jack's father inclined his head to his son who stood staring back before nodding back as not to seem rude.

The man's eyes seemed to trail down to Emily who had her head buried in Jack's neck and he said gruffly, "Can the girl not walk on her own two legs?" Jack allowed Emily to the ground and she looked like she was about to protest before she trotted off to her place at the table.

Jack took off his cloak and leather shoes, further storing them on a metal nail to the side.

The boy then took his own seat next to his sister which happened to be directly opposite his parents.

His mother turned in the pregnant silence and poured broth into six wooden bowls with the use of a ladle.

She then tore a small piece of bread into six pieces, Jack and father getting the biggest. She smiled at Jack who sent a crooked grin back.

His dad turned suddenly and coughed violently away from the table as they waited for him to be okay.

The man turned and the family spoke their vows, thanking god for the food. They ate quietly, Jack was grateful for the broth that slithered down his throat, warming him from the inside. The broth was almost tasteless and heavily water diluted but he didn't mind.

His father then broke the silence as he asked with a rasp, "what you been up to today, boy?"

Jack swallowed and answered with spoon mid-air, "Watching the sheep as usual, sir."

His father seemed to watch him suspiciously before nodding and shovelling another spoonful into his mouth before continuing without looking up "-I want you to take Billy' two lambs tomorrow. Thank him for his help with the roof and then take the bucks to the market."

Jack looked up innocently, "Tomorrow is Sunday..."

"Yes," His Father never looked up as he answered dryly, "Sunday follows Saturday. Then after Sunday it is Monday. How perspective of you."

Jack glared at his half-empty bowl before deciding childishly that he wasn't hungry.

"Eugene..." Lilly paused looking at her husband disdainfully, "You know Sunday is Jacks-"

"Boy's gotta learn, dear," Eugene waved her off, wiping away the foam from the broth off of his bristly chin. "I stayed with the sheep all night, when I was a boy, those sheep need sorting."

His mother seemed to pause before opening her mouth, Eugene raised his hand and called for silence. "I won't have a word of it, woman. Now, I then want you to sort the ewe's from the bucks. Take the bucks down to the village, I've heard that old man, Magwitch is selling some of his bulls. Beat him down to the market will you Jack?"

"Yes, sir," Jack muttered poking at the slosh in his bowl.

"I want no less than two shillings for each one, do you hear me, boy?"

Jack nodded solemnly.

"What?"

"Yes, sir."

His father tucked back into his food, wiping up the stray liquid particles with his share of bread.

The man was broad shouldered, well aged and greying. He had dusty, pale green eyes and black hair or what used to be black was now a dark grey.

He was well fed, rosy cheeked and usually smelled of rum or perhaps something stronger...

Lilly seemed to glower at her husband before snapping at one of the twins to stop slouching. Emily looked side ways at her brother.

Jack ignored her, he knew what she was going to ask...

There was no point in arguing with his father, his father's word was law as it was in many many of the other households. Jack sobered up and began to eat again. Emily was picking at her piece of bread idly as she kept glancing his way. Jack wasn't sure whether she'd be able to keep the question in her mind without distraction so he decided to charge up the next topic of conversation.

"So what is Billy going to do with his old ewes?"  
Eugene glanced up looking as if he'd tell the boy to mind his own business before grumbling, " think he was going to pack up with his sheep, said e' was getting too old."  
"But he's not as old as you," Jack attempted to humour his dad mildly "-and you've done so well with the sheep."  
Of course it was a lie, he caught his mum frowning at him and quickly looked away in shame.  
His father seemed to like the praise and he almost purred, " right you are! My boy, I been with that herd for so long. All comes from me, that does."  
A small mischievous curve then slithered into position on Jacks lips as he went on, "you're right, sir, I've never seen those ewes so contented in my life."  
"a short life you've had too," his dad said proudly, looking up as if to see the herd for himself." they've been contented all the time since I've been around."  
"oh, yes," Jack agreed mockingly, avoiding his mothers gaze as he could tell she was pleading him to stop. He was lucky his dad was so stupid and rock headed. "Who needs to _read_when you have such skill with the sheep," Jack grinned inwardly at his dad who paused for a moment, looking uncomfortable with his son revealing that to the younger twins. The two twins looked questioningly at their father, as if they were going to question him about it before he coughed looking annoyed and uncomfortable as he spluttered "-well...yes I suppose."

"-old Greymen down by the inn said you're mutton was the best, dad, he said he's never tasted such good sheep. He'd ask you to write down how many sheep you'd sold last year, I told him you probably wouldn't be able to write it down. Oh, but maybe I'll count the sheep for you so you can tell him yourself, I know there is more than ten_"  
"Jack..." his mothers warning flashed light in his eyes like a lost dear as he paused.

Jack had forgotten about the rest of the family as he had demobilised his father in front of them. Father and son were glaring deeply at each other before Jack had figured that his father had caught on by now and the man was rosy with fury.  
"Go wait in the sitting room."  
Jack back tracked quickly, looking rueful as he stood and left the room.  
Lilly paused and told her husband softly, "he doesn't mean it Eugene, he's had a hard day, he'll_"  
"Be quiet woman!" Eugene snapped at her and gulped down the rest of his broth.  
"think I'm stupid e' does," the man spat, "I'll make sure he doesn't use that head of his again, luck comes if I don't kill him."  
The twins were looking wide eyed at their mum. She stood and told them to go to bed, they complied and Emily stayed because daddy wouldn't think to hurt her or at least not like he hurt Jack when her big brother had been unto some sort of tomfoolery.

After Eugene had helped himself to a third helping he stood and strode off to find Jack. Lilly had hoped he had forgotten about the little tantrum but...  
Emily secretly hoped that Jack would run away quickly because daddy looked like the radishes that grew in the garden.

Lilly sighed softly and began to ready some warm water, fishing a small jar of honey and rags from the side shelves and placing them on the table after she had placed the cool water over the fire.  
She sat and rested her head in her hands.  
Emily couldn't help but notice how tired mummy looked but couldn't find much to say to comfort her own mother.  
"Jack's in trouble again, mummy," said the small child.  
"Jack is nothing but, dear Emily."  
They didn't pretend to not hear father shouting at Jack. As usual he read out what was on the plaque, not because he _could_ read but because it had been installed upon his mind.  
He was angry that Jack had offended his status of being able to read and write which was none existent.

Jack yelped every now and then and Lilly drowned it out by asking her daughter to count to twenty, Wincing every time the swipe of the shepherds crook cracked the air and collided with her son.

"-9... E-ten...um.."  
"Eleven," Lilly told her daughter softly.  
Emily was particularly slow. She caught on to things much less as fast as her younger brothers. She was like her father, she just found it hard to understand or remember some things. Though bless her heart she tried.  
"Twelth, and then it's thirteen," the little girls face was scrunched in concentration. Lilly never bothered to correct her pronunciation of twelve.  
"fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen nineteen..." she paused on her streak before saying proudly, "twenty."

"Good girl" her mum nodded proudly.  
"How many sheep does daddy own?"  
"32. 16 ewes and 16 lambs."  
Okay, so if daddy has four ewes that all have lambs how many is that?"  
Emily concentrated hard. Lilly listened as a door shut and heavy foot steps fell upon the stairs.

The silence that followed the distant slam of the door was cold and pregnant. Sure her husband was in an intoxicated daze by now she stood and turned to Emily as she passed through the door:  
"Stay here my dear. See if you can answer the question."  
Emily nodded though looked a little worried as her mum disappeared down the hall way to the Seating room.

The seating room was a large room. An amber glow nipped at almost every feature of the room as the embers of the fire shone rebelliously. There was a sheep skin rug stretched across the floor as well as a long bench like chair that had leather stretched tightly over every panel.

Jack was sitting in the corner, head buried in his knees.

"Jack?"

She called him softly and reached out to his shoulder.

Jack shifted and looked up at her, she refrained from tearing up at the sight of the perfectly round shiner pasted around his left brown eye.

"Come on, son." She said calmly to maintain her strong, self-aware demeanour.

Her tall, beautiful son stood and she was angry and proud of him. Angry because he was stupid and proud because he was her son.

Jack followed her into the kitchen and she sat him against the table. Emily was looking brightly up at her mum, exploding with an answer.

"What was it Emily?"

"Eight."

Lilly smiled at her daughter, taking the simmering pot from the fire and placing it upon the wooden table. "Now, off to bed Emily."

Emily pouted at her mum but stood to scamper off upstairs, though Jack could hear her pause half-way up and he smiled slightly.

Lilly raised her eyebrows at him as she dipped the rag in the warm water.

The boy shrugged lightly as she rolled her eyes, pointing a finger at his stomach asking to take of his shirt.

Jack did so to show a peach, bony frame. Lilly hummed softly to herself as she assessed the damage. It appeared that Jack had been wise to keep his clothe layers on, he just had one mean, stinging wound on his shoulder.

Lilly was used to cleaning up her son's wounds. Eugene was a hard man, He had driven Jack into detesting him so much that the boy wouldn't mind a beating if he could jab the man himself. Though the size difference was the goal posts between the two.

She dabbed his bruises, softly. She knew that the treatment wouldn't help the boy physically but she knew mentally that her son needed the close, loving contact. She'd always be there for him, She never cared for Eugene now he had changed so much.

"Silly child," She scolded him lightly.

"He treats me like he treats the sheep," Jack told her scathingly.

Lilly inclined her head slightly in confusion as Jack explained, "He uses the sheep, he uses me. He only puts up with us because he needs us, yet if the sheep so far as travels a step from the group he hits them with the crook."

His mother shook her head crudely, "don't compare yourself to a sheep_"

"Don't say he cares about me mum..."

"Okay, I won't," Lilly grinned and her son automatically grinned back. He was always wearing that toothy grin.

"Learn this well, son, tell your kids when they are older..."

Jack's rapt attention was focused on her as she continued "-The world doesn't owe you anything."

And now the boy looked disheartened.

"No, it doesn't. The world did not put you here, on its fresh soil with its tall, old trees because it has an obligation to, it put you here because you have an obligation to it. My father told me this on his death bed. The sun does not rise in the morning for you to see during the day, if you try and change your sleeping pattern the sun will not change its own pattern for you. The moon does not shine at night to show you your own way, because you have to find it yourself. No matter how hard Eugene will hit you, how many sheep will die in a blizzard or how hungry you are... the world will not help you. God gave us free will."

"So I owe something to the world? Is that it?" Jack asked sulkily.

Lilly nodded, smiling to herself "-you will understand."

She passed him his top.  
"Now, I have a favour to ask," She told him and waited for the apprehension to dawn on his face, "I know its a task but please do not aggravate you're father."

There was a pause before Jack nodded and his mum hugged him tightly.

"I love you, Jack. Do you know that?"

"Of course I do."

"Then go to bed."

Jack laughed, hopped off of the table and paused, seeing Emily trying to scrabble up the stairs. She was ashamed to be eavesdropping.

"It's rude to do that Emily," Jack told her mildly, "You know who gets angry when you misbehave?"

"Santa?" Emily asked slowly.

Jack grinned evilly, "The boogie man!"

Emily squeaked and ran up the stairs in terror.

Jack closed in after her as she ran into the room she shared with the twins, slamming the door so Jack couldn't enter.

Laughing to himself though aching and regretting being coy with his father he returned to bed.

As soon as his head hit the thin, pillow he was out like a light.


	2. Chapter 1: The Sunday After Next

**Welcome friends! I will update HB and AL next (for those who read them) AL will be late because the next chapter is on my dad's laptop and I forgot to send it to my e-mail... so it'll be late. HB needs some more love so... yeah. **

**Anyway, thank you for the big interest in the story, nice to see so many follows and favourites.**

**I decided to stab my words when I said... 'no established relationship'. I take it back... there will be a minor one to put more depth into the idea but that's it ;) **

**This story is also going to start getting a little dark and complicated so be warned.**

**Answers to reviews are at the bottom. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own ROTG or any original character from the movie.**

**Chapter 1**

**~*The Sunday after next*~**

Jack was used to waking up and feeling his body quiver against the cold. The thing about Burgess was that it presented freezing winters and respectably warm summers. Jack was more excited for the summer than he had been for Christmas that year. The boy huffed in annoyance and tried to bury his head into his pillow which needed stuffing with more feathers; it was too thin. Still feeling his aching body tell him it was time to see to the daily chores, Jack sat up and yawned. His jaws parted in the great inhale of air like a fishes small, pucker mouth gasping as it is stolen from the water.

He stretched, ignoring the pain in his shoulder and stared around as if he was expecting something in his tiny room to be out of place. Jack's chocolate brown eyes came to rest on the sight of the window opposite his bed. Typically, it was still pitch black outside.  
Though the dark was depressing and awkward, Jack was well accustomed to it. The cold winter night would march on until at least eight-O'clock in the morning, when finally the sun would dare show its face.

Jack ran a scrawny hand through his thick hair and stood up unsteadily.  
He had no candles in his possession so he'd have to make do with the familiar darkness, though the moon cast an almost helpful glint of light. It made Jack think about what his mum said last night.

The young-adult readied himself for the day with a fresh layer of clothes; being the simple layers he usually wore.

He turned, running a hand through his hair before falling over the old, family dog in the most ungainly way one could imagine. The large, brindle Plott hound yelped in shock and shot from underneath Jack shouted after him in great agitation:  
"Bernard! Stay outta my room!"  
The dog was gone and out of sight, a scrabbling was heard on the wooden stairs as Jack cursed the dog indecently.

He lifted himself from the floor and resumed to exit his room after closing the door behind him. He huffed in exasperation and expected the day to be an excitable one. The middle door to his left creaked and opened.

Of course it would be Emily.

He knew full and well that Emily wanted to come to the village market later after church with him. He didn't see a reason why he shouldn't let her but then he'd have to entertain her; she'd be bored all day.

He placed a smile across his face, turned to face the little eight-year-old and held out his arms as a loving brother should.

Emily accepted the invitation of a warm hug and grappled her brother tightly before he chuckled, "Okay, settle down. You can come."

"Yay," Emily whooped, barely containing herself. She then scurried off to get ready for their morning outing.

Jack didn't wait to trot downstairs into the kitchen where He found his mother, already up and stirring what appeared to be sloppy porridge.

She turned to see Jack and smiled politely at him as he entered and sat himself down.

"I suppose Emily will be going with you later?" She asked.

"Yeah, its fine. Is it okay If I stop at Mary's house though? I need to return a book."

_I'm guessing that it is not just Mary He'll be wanting to visit. _A humored glint warmed her soft hazel eyes as she served her tall son a generous helping of porridge and prepared one for Emily.

"Of course."

Jack nodded and began to eat away at his breakfast. The warmed mash had barely touched the sides before the wooden bowl was empty, Jack waved down a ladle full of more, "I need to set Ben up, Emily can eat while I do that."

And speak of the devil she came into the kitchen and eyed Jack as he popped on his over-coat.

"You eat and I'll get Ben ready for the journey down," He told her.

"You promise to let me come to the market with you?"

Jack pretended to give it deep thought, before nodding in a way that Emily could not tell if he was serious or was plotting another devious trick of his.

Emily glared at him, a complete integral suspicion layered across her beautiful face. Jack almost laughed at her but spoke willfully, "Would I ever trick you?"

"You always trick me/her," Said Emily and their mother simultaneously.

Jack smiled mischievously and left the room.

In the underground barn was a ramp on the East-side wall opposite the stairs into the barn. The slope was closed off by large wooden doors, that locked from the inside. This led out into the back field where the sheep were. Along the North wall was the single-horse trap and various tools and farming equipment. Under the stairs and the entire West-side wall was where hay and grain stayed.

Lastly was the stable area which could hold up to twenty cattle if you packed them tight, although the cattle area had been sectioned.

Ben was in his own stall closest to the stairway that led up to the first story of the house.

Ben knickered (a low guttural sound a horse makes in assumed greeting or pleasure) softly at the sight of his young master, Jack closed the door and did not refrain from making a terrible horsey impression back.

Ben kicked his door expecting food, Jack clapped his hands at the bay (Dark brown with black mane and tail) horse scolding him lightly.

The boy scooped up a handful of grain and tasked at the ugly horse as he passed the grain into its bucket. Ben was a hairy work horse. He stood an average 15.3hh (160.02cm) high; was stocky and well built and had a calm working horse temperament.

Ben was unfortunate to have an ugly face for a horse, though Jack didn't mind. While the horse ate, Jack opened another stall and pulled a bar across so that he could herd the sheep in without chasing them around the underground barn. The Barn was dark, damp and had a musty smell, the only light coming from a few lanterns. Jack persisted to light a few more before opening the barn doors and huffing at the snow... another task.

…

The boy swept away the beads of sweat that had formed on his brow as he stared back at the results of his labour. The snow was cleared from the barn way until the slope became level. The sheep stared at him from the _far _corner of the paddock.

_Typical,_thought Jack scathingly.

"Here, sheep! Come on!" The sheep continued to stare, Jack scowled.

"Don't worry," He called to them from the barn door way, "Its warm in here. I won't eat you." _Yet._

The sheep ignored him and the young-adult felt very silly. So instead he played an old trick that would save him the expense of chasing them into the barn, which is what his father always told him to do.

He caught hold of a metal bucket and filled it with a scoop of grain before standing back at the door way and shaking the contents.

The creatures, devoid it would seem of any brain-cells, looked up. To the great joy that their tiny minds could muster they listened as the grain clattered against the metal bucket. And then they all began to trot over as fast as their knobbly legs could go. Jack backed into the barn as they came through and tipped the seed into the empty stall he had previously opened.

The sheep paid him no mind as he stealthily closed the barn doors in, trapping them all in the barn.

Ben hung his heavy head to watch as Jack sorted the smaller male yearling-sheep from their ewes. They shook and pulled away as he tugged and dragged them out with the use of a rope and pulled all of them into the stall next door.

In all they still had sixteen ewes. Those sixteen ewes had produced between them twelve bucks (males) and six more ewes. Jack was pleased with that. Two of the ewes had produced two lambs instead of one, which was not uncommon, just a bonus.

The separated bucks called to their mothers, whom they could not see. Their mothers still had the six daughters and only bleated back half-heartily, they'd all had lambs weaned away from them more then twice, it was a routine to them. Not until tonight, when they realized that this batch were not coming back would they realize that their sons would not return.

Jack turned and pulled the wagon harness from the wooden storage box besides Ben's stable. The boy continued to strap the harness onto Ben after giving the hairy beast a quick flick with a dandy-brush (a small/soft body brush used to brush dust off a horses body).

He led Ben out into the cold air. The horse giving no complaint as the boy backed him between the long shafts of the old black coupé (four-wheeled closed horse-drawn carriage).

He strapped the work horse securely and expertly to the trap.

Jack led Ben around to the front of the old house. Closing the barn doors and standing with him to wait for the rest of his family.

Eugene and Lilly were the first to come out, along with the twins; Colin and Edward. Emily came bouncing out after. They were dressed ready for church. What a way to spend a Sunday before taking sheep down to the village.

Eugene hoisted himself into the the coupé, Lilly followed with the Twins and Emily. There was no room for Jack as he decided to walk by Ben's head. Save his father yanking the animal around.

Ben pulled and Jack held onto his head piece lightly as they trod carefully through the snow and down the wide track to the village.

Lilly was conversing what would seem a heated topic to Eugene, the twins and Emily were silent .

There was trouble, from what his mother was saying.

"Elias Thaddeus said he'd seen them," She spoke to Eugene who tilted his head to hear her better. "He'd seen the wild men riding on horses around the forest edge."

"How close to our home?" Eugene grumbled.

"Not close but he could just about see that these were redskins, no saddles or anything."

"Savages, beggars and thieves is what they are."

Jack listened quietly, was it bad that he was so curious about these wild men?

"You seen anything, boy?"

Jack flinched at the sudden question and didn't care to turn and look at his father lest his black shiner remind the man of the night before.

"No, sir," He replied, "Only the trees and their shadows.. though, the tree line is quite far off."  
He smiled evilly to himself, no reason why he shouldn't speculate was there? It was true the shadows of the trees were tricksters and there was no shame in worrying his old man.

The coupé seemed to wobble as Eugene shifted uncomfortably.

Emily smirked and refrained from laughing whilst Lilly looked on in deep frustration with her son, "Don't be silly Jack, you know those filthy creatures wouldn't come so close to the town..."

Jack shrugged, _well we've hacked enough of them off... _

"Elias Thaddeus said they were attacking one of their camp sites yesterday. I wonder if he and his men are all okay."

"Elias Thaddeus?" asked Colin politely, "he is the man who owns that fancy isn't he? And the big house by the brook."

"Yes dear," Lilly replied fondly. "He hunts out with some of the young men on his fancy horse."

"Worth nothing those fancies," Eugene growled in heavy annoyance, "couldn't pull a cart like a proper working horse such as my Ben here."

"Their not for pulling carts, father," Edward told his dad but fell silent at his father's contradicting glare. "What would you know?" His father snapped with a hard tone.

Jack intervened crudely, "that's right Edward, they are bred to hunt and run fast."

Edward looked relieved as Eugene glared at Jack instead.

Jack stared off toward the forests that swept so much of the land before the village. He supposed that somewhere would be the ocean, waters that stretched so far that nothing could be seen beyond the horizon Maybe he'd travel across to have a look at this liquid sky. Maybe he'd one day be free of sheep and the restrictions that came with being part of the working class. The glimmer of lake Burgess could be seen peeking over the top of the trees. It appeared frozen over, Jack didn't care as he looked away and thought of the standing conversation.

He felt the heat of his father's stagnant gaze burn the back of his head, a short tired sigh escaped from his parted lips.

"You couldn't catch a stag or even a buffalo without a fancy," Jack told them calmly. "Buffalo are supposed to be mean and fast, Ben wouldn't keep up but a long-legged horse would. A horse that could cut through the air..."  
He was silent as he listened to the stilled quietness from behind. He listened to the groan of the coupe as it crawled behind Ben. The horse swung its head around to check Jack and make sure the quite boy was not angry with him.  
The big horse sighed too. He was tired of this routine, tired of the labor and tired of the shouting and maybe Jack was speculating that the horse was sharing his own thoughts.  
_"You go get a fancy horse, Jack," _he imagined the beast saying, _"it can play the game I've been losing since your father bought me."_

Sympathy etched its way into Jack's heart and he threw an arm around Ben's chunky neck to show appreciation. Edward shared a raised eyebrow with Colin as they wondered what had come over their eldest brother.  
Ben sighed again, horses always seemed to sigh; when they were: bored, tired, happy or annoyed.

"I''d love to hunt a buffalo," Jack said absently, to Ben more than anyone else. Lilly smiled at her son and his confessions.

"How do you know what a buffalo is?" Eugene asked suspiciously, "suppose Elias Thaddeus told you about it did he?"

"No actually," Jack replied as he found himself at the bottom of the hill and pulling the horse left toward the frigid stone church.

The family stepped out of the coupé as Jack tied Ben to a post and further flung a thin cotton blanket over the back of the horse to keep him partially warm. Eugene waited for Jack to tell him about his source for hearing about a buffalo and grew impatient as they were about to enter the cold, holy building.

"Well," Eugene grumbled in annoyance, "Where would you be hearing about them then?"

The reaction Jack had wanted had been exactly established. Eugene wanted to know about the Buffalo so he too could acquire knowledge about the animal, however the boy knew that the man would dislike the source.

Jack smiled fully at his father as he said slyly, "I _read _about them... in a _book_."

Before Eugene could even hiss or shout; Jack disappeared into the sanctity of the church.

* * *

With church over, the family had retreated back to their humble home. Lilly was washing clothes, Eugene was heading back out to the inn and the twins were out playing with the other children of the village. Emily was walking next to Jack as the two walked in front of the dozen of bucks (male sheep). They seemed happier to follow Jack who had always fed them, especially as he had sneaked a handful of grain into his pocket.

Bernard, the old plott-hound trailed dutifully behind them all.

"Mum says you need to be careful around daddy," Emily reported to her brother, her hand in his free one as they walked back down to the village.

"I am careful," Jack replied softly.

"No you're not," Emily said in a whiny voice, "mum said you need to stop playing smart."

"I'm not playing smart, I am smart," Jack laughed.

"Jack..." Emily trailed.

"All right, I'll try."

Emily smiled at that, she'd just won another fight. The victory however felt short-lived. Jack didn't seem to be exerting much energy into their squabbles lately. As a little sister, she felt it was her fundamental occupation to tease and contradict him and he used to apply full force into getting his own way but recently his mind had been distant and far off from topic.

Jack looked side-ways at her before yawning and stretching his arms high in tiredness, growing pains aching in his back were lost as a refreshing movement clambered up his spine. He flopped his hands to his side and Emily laughed to herself as they came to the bottom of the hill.  
Jack rubbed his forehead as he experienced a severe case of de ja vu.

Burgess was a small settlement that witheld around twenty odd homes. These houses continued in a straight line, facing each other before ending at the wood lodgers at one end by the brook and following around into a clearing at the other where the Market area had been placed. Stands stood around with covers that did litte to protect any goods from the rain.

From the town you could see the over looking Verdandi house which was accessible via a path that cut half-way through the row of houses that ascended the hill. There was one forgery that was built into the grand house. It belonged to Billy who was a great Blacksmith and craftsman of iron.  
John Adderly who was walking over at that moment to assist Jack with a group of his comrades was also a good man who was probably the most accomplished tradesman. He was averagely built with kind eyes though his face was tired and haggard. Last Autumn his three sons had left to join the Cavalry in a place called Massachusetts and his daughter had been married off to someone in a village nearby.

John's friends, consisting of Abraham and his brother James Duanhop, Bernard Hickens. John had a hearty voice that boomed loudly, frightening the worried sheep as he called for Jack's approval of their help.  
Jack gave them a toothy grin, he passed a mild glance across the streets sighing softly to see it crowded. The snow that had been laid down the previous night was scarred and marred with hoof, paw and shoe prints as well as cutting tracks from different carriages. Jack saw Ben standing stiff-legged outside the inn along with two other horses and glowered in hot annoyance.

The men herded the sheep into the pens at the market place and they stood around discussing whatever topic would throw itself into their path. Emily kicked at the snow or disappeared into the crowd to speak to a young friend, Jack found himself staring after her worriedly but there was always something distracting to see and smell. He looked around the busy market.

John's wife was selling trinkets of little worth at one stall, accompanied with a few clothes she had made herself, the boy took a moment to admire her handiwork as John was lost in conversation with his friends.  
There were pheasants, pig meat and rabbits being offered at a table close by and He saw Hopkins' (a friend of Elias) wife stride past, one arm occupied with a small, chubby child and the other with a basket full of eggs, butter, bread and other goods.

Emily wondered back and said nothing to Jack's disproving look though she sent one back as if she had something to say. He decided to punish her by boring and ignoring her imploring gaze and continued the conversation with John.  
"No, I agree completely," he nodded and John looked pleased.  
"Yes, yes," James rolled his shoulders, "but this winter really must end, I'm not sure whether the horses are suffering more than the cattle... we need our work animals."  
"Well... speaking of work animals," John said looking up to the sky, "I better be back to the shop. The missus doesn't like to be left to do it all alone, you know how these ladies are."  
"No, I wouldn't," chuckled Abraham and James joined in.  
"Ai, I was talking to the lad," John said poking a finger at Jack who smirked despite himself, "has better luck than the two of you and he's a whole while younger."  
"He's a pretty boy," Bernard huffed in humor, "prancing about like Elias, you'd think they were related."

John shook his head as Bernard before smiling deeply at patting Jack roughly on the shoulder. "I s'pose we better have some sheep off of you. Two for me please."  
"one for us," Said the brothers and Bernard poked his finger in the air to have one too.  
"Christmas is over but I can still have a proper dinner," joked one. It saddened jack when they joked about his poor sheep. All of them were doomed to die for consumption, that was life but it still hurt. Jack felt like he'd sit at the top of the hill and watched these creatures grow to watch them die.  
Sensing the boy's melancholy feelings John fished into his pockets and paid extra the men herded the sheep away and left Jack to stew as more people came over once the group had gone.

Jack had begun to draw figures into the snow to humor Emily whilst the crowd began to die down. Magwitch came stumbling down and lurched over the fence to look at them as he took a clumsy swig from his bottle of alcohol.

"What's this then?" He slurred as he stared at the sheep.

"Lambs, Mr. Magwitch," Jack said with a smile.  
Magwitch coughed as he said, "Sellin' sheep aw'reddy is e'? This early in the winter?"

"We're a month away from selling time, we thought we may as well get them out of our hair," Jack defended though in his mind he was saying; _my hair, _but Magwitch was a good friend of his father.

The unruly man stared down at the left overs for a moment before raising a withered hand, scratching his bristly beard and then shakily pointing at the group of sheep in the pen.  
Emily hid a laugh at his hopeless coordination by burying her head into Jack's side. Magwitch didn't notice and wouldn't care if he did as he slurred: "I'll have that pretty one then."

* * *

Emily was stroking Bernard, she looked tired and Jack felt sorry for making her come out in the cold before consoling that she had in fact chosen to come out. _She could always go back home if she pleased_, he had though ruefully.

Billy was with Harris, his son, and the two looked at Jack expectantly. Billy eyed Jack's ugly bruise around his eye, looked away and said in a friendly manner, "What be you, Jackson?"

Jack smiled at Harris and Billy, "I'm fine, how are you sir?"

"All well."

Billy was an average-sized man. He was broad at the shoulder and straight in the back. He walked with pride. He accompanied a well groomed set of hair and usually wore cream leggings, a navy over-coat with a fancy linen shirt. Harris wore a long-sleeved,brown cotton shirt with a bear skin body warmer. He too was wearing leggings. Harris was a fair-faced boy the same age as Jack but much broader. The boy had a thicker pair of muscled arms.

Billy was a Blacksmith and his son was his apprentice. They lived not to far from the village square only a short walk down the street in fact.

Harris and Billy had helped Eugene when he was ill, taking him to the doctor in a far off village. They had also shod Ben when the horse needed it, charging nothing or very little. They were good friends.

Harris was Jack's best friend and had helped him in hard times and put up with his pessimistic mood more than often.

Harris and Jack shared a manly hug, Jack Shook Billy's hand as he told the man, "We have two-lambs for you."

"Oh, thank you," Billy said and followed him over to look at them.

"Hello Emily," Billy greeted and the girl looked shy as she muttered her reply.

"These are nice, is he selling early?"

"He told me Magwitch would be selling his bulls and to sell them quickly," Jack looked around himself as he told them quietly, "I don't see any bulls."

"Magwitch lost all of his cattle," Billy informed Jack looking pitiful, "You wouldn't know because he has you up that hill all day."

Jack stared at Billy in disbelief, "How has he lost all of the cattle?"

"The wild men came from the forests at night last Wednesday. They came as if leached from the clay itself, must have been terrifying, Magwitch just hid."

"He's been running himself into the ground with the devil's drink ever since," Harris said in his sweetly, naïve tone.

"Harris, lets watch our mouths," Billy muttered looking around in fear for being over heard.

"He was under the thumb earlier, he came and bought one of the sheep," Jack informed and pitied the old man, dearly.

"Those Redskin are starting to attack more often," Jack stated.

"We should get the men together and fight back," Harris advised.

Jack agreed to that, "I'm going to get a fancy horse, then I'll be the first to ride into the fray"

"I respect that," Billy said, placing a hand on the two-boy's shoulders, "However, there is no need to start any wars. Elias and the others went out to scout the area and chase any trouble makers away. They'll be coming back and that should be the end of it. Remember that these men lived on this land long before us. Imagine how they must feel when the colonists entered."

Jack looked down and thought of the wolves coming into his fields. He supposed somewhere that Billy was right.

"My dad says that they are savages, beggars and thieves."

"Are we not the same?" Billy said after a moment, "We will not change the Indians into white-men Jack."

Jack nodded, "So what about Magwitch?"

"I believe those cattle were stolen because they were angry at us."  
Before Jack could question further Billy gestured to the sheep, "do not believe everything your dad says, his mind is clouded."

Taking that as a final tone Jack turned and roped the sheep for him, passing both over to Billy who patted him on the shoulder and began to head off.

"You really getting' a fancy horse Jack?" Asked Harris.

"Yes," Jack said optimistically, "I've been saving up. I know that they were going to be bringing in horses from what Elias said."

"Your dad will kill you," Harris warned.

"He has no reason to," Jack waved him down, "I said I was going to get my own horse for ages since now."  
"Did you tell him it would be a fancy?"

"Nah, I'll surprise him."

Harris let out a long humored huff of air, "Aright, then I'll hunt with you. Your new fancy against mine?"

Jack nodded, "Where's the competition?"

Harris laughed and went back to help his father with the sheep.

The redskins were beginning to worry Jack. Billy's words had only partially comforted him. They were angry because the colonists were moving in to their territory. Whilst some were more accommodating the rest were not. He'd heard of men being killed mercilessly.

He wondered how far these wild men would go. It frightened him for their close proximity.

How long would it be before the village of Burgess was under a greater threat by the Sioux tribe?

he strolled over to Emily who looked up from her patting of Bernard.

Her brother crouched and produced a shilling.

"Can you see this?" He asked, Emily nodded a grin travelling across her rosy face.

Jack waved the coin in front of her then twisted it away before flattening his hand to reveal and empty palm.

"Where Is the coin?" Emily whispered and looked around her.

Jack laughed, "its right here-" he reached behind her ear and magically pulled a coin away, "See?"

Emily clapped her hands, she smiled and many little teeth glinted in glee.

Jack pulled her hand out and she gasped as he placed the shilling into her palm, "here, its yours."

"No, Jack!" Emily refused and offered it back. Jack raised his arms and shook his head, "no, no. Keep it."

A shilling was a lot for a little girl like Emily and she marveled at what she would do with it.

Jack pulled the last lamb out and the two walked from the village store. The first house to the left was Jack's new destination. He produced a thick, hard backed book from the inside pocket of his travelling cloak.

* * *

Jack's bony fist collided with the wooden door. Each hard knock resonated an echo of his heart as the male buck looked worriedly around and Emily, who was holding the last ewe and watching Bernard, looked bored of this routine.  
Jack couldn't help but smile apologetically at his little sister but she seemed to ignore him. He knew that through all her good points... sharing was not one of them. She didn't want to share Jack but there came trouble when the object itself wanted to trade possession.

This house was a cute one. The roof had only recently been replaced with wood from its original straw and the outside walls had been re-painted.  
The cottage looked cozy and traditional against the rest of the growing village.  
The round door opened without a sound. A lady, middle-aged with graying ebony hair starred up at Jack before a smile whispered upon the corners of her lips. She looked pleased to see him as she gaped at the boy, then at his sister and then at the sheep that gawped back.

"It is very nice to see you," She said genuinely, "I haven't seen you in a while. I'm sure you've grown taller, Emily."  
Emily's lips turned upwards in appreciation though she shyly tucked her head away behind her brother's leg.  
Jack smiled awkwardly.  
"I saved the last lamb for you, Mary," He told her.  
Mary began to pat her pockets to look for her coin purse, Jack waving her down as he said, "no need, this one is on me."  
"Your a good boy, I'm so pleased that Lilly should have a son like you," Mary winced at the sight of his ugly, bruised eye and looked away as she refrained from saying; _I don't know how she'd have lived without you._

Jack smiled at the widow and they were led around to tether the sheep in her small garden, it was protected with a wooden overhang and they left the creature to its self as the two kids were invited inside. Bernard stayed and lay down on the porch floor where he dozed off.

Mary put a pot of water over the heath and questioned Jack and his sister on anything she could possibly think of.  
_"How has your week been?", "what did you eat last night?", "How is the family holding up?"  
_Anything seemed to go. Emily was happy to tell her anything, Jack stood awkwardly in the corner, He supposed Mary was avoiding stating the obvious until it became unavoidable.

"You don't have to ask to go see Ellana, Jack," The woman said with a sigh, holding the hot pot in question of whether he wanted a hot drink.  
"No, thank you." Jack smiled at her softly.  
"Go and see if you can get her to come out of her room, I haven't seen her all day."  
Jack nodded and Mary rolled her eyes at Emily who laughed.

The cottage shared by Mary and Ellana was a quaint one. It was a relaxing little place with an open bottom floor, there was a fire place to the left and the kitchen was basically in the living area. There was two doors that were always kept privately closed, Jack presumed they were bedrooms but the one he knew well was the only room on the second floor.

He scarpered up the stairs and stood behind Ellana's closed door feeling brightly self-conscious. Knowing no better, he knocked on the wooden door.  
"Go away," came a haughty muffled reply.  
Jack smiled deeply as he knocked again.  
"I'll be down later, go away!"  
_Knock... knock. _

Heating movement and something clattering against the door, Jack refrained from laughing. It did not take much exertion of effort but to annoy this girl brought a strange victorious emotion within as she stormed across to the door, flinging it open. Looking outraged and petite was Ellana.

"I said-Jack?"  
Ellana had a small, fragile looking frame but was not one to be underestimated, as Jack knew full and well that when angry she had the strength of a bull.  
She pouted up at him, freckles and beautiful blue eyes framed with long, ebony locks. She wore a cream night gown which hung loosely on every curve of her body.  
"Jerk," She smiled and went to close the door on him. Jack slid past like a spider and grappled her skillfully into a meaningful embrace.  
"I can be a Jerk," He smiled into her hair, she squeaked as he pulled her back onto the bed.  
She took control, kissing him before pausing and teasingly moving away. Jack looked as if he'd been defied of his sweets. "I can be a jerk too," She told him cruelly.  
"You bet," Jack replied sitting up and watching her cross the room.

"I've been working on this, all day."  
She lifted something from the side and turned it around to show him. Jack's eyebrows raised as he contemplated the painting before him. A deer in the snow it would seem. Her skill was adept but paint was not exactly... inexpensive meaning her colors were improvised.  
"Its wonderful," Jack commented genuinely.  
Ellana placed it back down and placed herself on the bed beside him, this time in her hands was a book. Jack recognized the lever-back cover and she held it towards him.  
"You've finished writing it?" He asked her softly.  
"Yesterday," She looked up and studied his face. Her penetrating blue gaze paused on his shiner and she looked sober, shoulders slumping in sadness.  
Jack felt like he'd done something wrong and brushed an intruding lock of hair away so he could see her every feature.  
"I hate him," she whispered.  
"You can't hate my father, then you'd be hating me."  
"How so?" She asked and there was a fierceness hinting on the very edge of her tone.  
"Parents are a part of us, your dad was a part of you wasn't he?"  
"He still is," She corrected and placed a hand to her heart, "in here."  
She didn't look like she wanted to continue the topic.  
Like a loyal dog, Jack stood as she did, She forced the book into his arms and told him firmly.  
"You cannot speak to me until you've read every single word."  
"S'not fair!" Jack disagreed and was silenced as she pecked him on the cheek, "not until every word is read."

The girl then persisted to push him out of the room and closed the door behind him as he stood looking exasperated at her ideals, this was becoming normal for him.

* * *

Jack's mind was settled on Ellana as he walked alongside his sister back up the street toward the hill. Jack had looked behind him to find that she had not watched him go from the window. He sighed softly as Emily was talking about some word Mary had taught her.  
Mary used to teach some of the boys literature as she had come with her husband to find a new life away from wherever they had come. The house was old but the inhabitants were new. As far as Jack knew, Ellana's father had died, how? He knew not and had never had the courage to ask. Though it was evidently fresh in Ellana's memories as she often tried to replicate his french accent, only forgetting on certain occasions.

The two had been courting for three years now. He knew deep down that Mary would have wanted Ellana to fall for a better man. A man of high stature with promised financial stability. Though she knew there would be none to look after her better than Jack but it was obvious by now that Mary just wanted the two to marry.

There was his problem. Most boys his age would just ask for her hand but Jack was scared because he didn't want to tell his father. He knew his mum would always stand by him if he were serious about something but how would he know how his bipolar father would react to this? Jack hadn't a house. He'd been saving up a long time but there was none to be had in Burgess, he'd have to make one. Jack sighed softly to himself.

He was frustrated. He wanted to call Ellana his wife and live like the couples in his books. Have children and create a family. Isn't that what every man should aim to do?

"JACK!" Screamed Emily as Bernard gave a bark of aggression and surprise. Jack had to dive to prevent himself from being killed.

"OUTTA THE WAY, BOY!" howled a man as seven... no eight horses came charging into the village. They were shouting and whooping like a hive of over-excited bees. Jack stood to see what was going on.

Elias Thaddeus was riding at the front. His Fancy horse snorting and foaming as it's hooves clattered the cobble paths. There was an explosion of noise as the horses came and swung around as they met the end of the street by the brook.

People came from their houses to see what was happening.

"Jack, I'm scared," Emily whimpered next to him as they came closer. Elias pulled his horse to a halt and they saw a man hog tied with a bag of some sort covering his head.

The man was half naked with what would seem a cloth covering his loins and bum.

"A redskin!" Jack hissed through his teeth as they pulled the intruder off the back of Elias's horse. There was a paint horse there two. It looked around in confusion and terror.  
By now the whole village was roused. People leaned out of windows, children were herded back into the homes and those who cared enough began to crowd around like curious sheep, respectful of the activity before them.

This man was obviously a scout of some sort.

Jack noticed that of the eight horses only six still had riders. One being one of the village horse Jack recognized as William Hopkins' horse.

The paint horse must belong to the Sioux.

They watched as several of the men of the village dismounted and began to kick and punch the Indian, Elias Thaddeus called them off.

Elias was an impressive men, he was everything that Eugene was not. He was tall like Jack. He had a pointed, brave face and dark brown eyes that were strong enough to terrify any man into submission. He was not broad shouldered or stocky but average in his frame work. There was always an air of power and superiority about this man. He was also devilishly handsome.

Which was curious, as he had no wife or children, so far as Jack knew. He had pretty, genuine woman waiting around and running simple favors for him all the time. Some had given up, the man never showed any interest in having a relationship.

Jack felt a great respect for the man. Elias Thaddeus, the village nicknamed him 'the wolf' for he was relentless. The men with him now were the ones that always walked with him. He was the most superior man in this tiny village, firm and kind... a natural born leader.  
It was no surprise that the people of this small town had taken to him as their leader and adviser as Burgess seemed to have been forgotten with the fighting that had erupted as people began to move inland. Maybe nobody expected the village to succeed.

Jack aspired to be just like him; hunter, warrior... leader.

"Jack I'm scared!" Emily whimpered.

Jack had momentarily forgotten about his little sister.  
He turned to look at her and respectfully crouched to her level. "Go home, Emily, tell mum that Elias Thaddeus has come back with a Sioux."

Emily looked tearfully at her brother before turning and running up the hill, Bernard took off after her, seeing no point in staying to watch the show.

Jack turned and came closer. He pushed himself to the front of the circle of which the villagers had made to watch the spectacle. Elias, stood holding his horse as his men backed away, trying to grab the reins of their own horses which had startled in the riot.

Someone grabbed the paint horse.

The Sioux lay almost lifeless on the ground in front of the man. Elias spotted Jack and called him forward.

Feeling terrified and awed, Jack came forward. Everyone watched him as he came to Elias who smiled genuinely at him.

"Would you hold my horse Jack?

Jack nodded, "Yes, sir," and he held the rains of Elias' great creature. He called his horse Brennan. Brennan was a grey-dappled horse. He stood tall and was very powerful with his long legs. He was a fancy, making him much finer and faster than Ben, who was a work horse.

_This is the horse I want._ Jack looked in wonderment at Brennan who breathed softly against his cold hands.

The snow began to fall again. The layer before had been marred by horse-hoof-prints, footprints and the struggle of these men.

Jack watched as two men came forward and pulled the bag off of the Sioux's head. He looked dazed and his nose was broken.

"Mitakuye oyas'in!" He cried out, "Ecunsni yo!"

Jack had never been up close to an Sioux before so the strange, awkward language meant nothing to him nor' the people of Burgess who also had probably never seen a wild man (as they had learnt to call them) up close.

Elias sniffed the air looking dissatisfied as he crouched by the man and gestured to his heart.

"I will not hurt you, just speak to me."

"Slolwaye sni." The captive replied worriedly.

Elias ignored him as he pointed a finger at the man, before pointing to his ears "you will listen," and then he pointed to his eyes "-and watch.)

"Akita mani yo? " he said under his panting breath, Elias nodded slowly as the wild-man did.

Elias pointed again, then made a gesture as if shooting an arrow. He made a cutting gesture across his throat before pointing to Hopkin's riderless horse. "Was it you who killed the rider of that horse?"

Somewhere a woman and her two young sons cried out in the distant crowd. Jack could not help but feel his heart ache. He wondered what it would be like to lose his dad? Would he be sad? Yes he would, his dad might be a hard man but all he wanted was for Jack to grow into a gentleman, to right his mistakes... right? His dad made sure there was food on the table...didn't he? Jack paused, in that thought. His father _used _to make sure there was food for his mother to cook. Now it was up to Jack to kill the rabbits and pheasants.

Jack had to make sure there was money to buy food, his father was too drunk all the time to be capable of getting food let alone work for the money.

"yo toka," He nodded, wriggling to comfort his position. Jack glared at the wild-man wriggling like some snake. He must have been up to something.

Brennan snorted in boredom, Jack stroked the animals nose telling him silently to be patient.

Elias shook his head, pointed to himself and then to the Sioux's paint horse. Indicating that he'd take the horse as repayment.

The Sioux shook his head violently at this. These people loved their horses, their horses were their lifestyle since the animals had been introduced so long ago.

Jack expected that to take his horse would be to take someone from his family away, _serve him right. _

Elias waved his hands to start another command. Pointing at the man, then to himself before bringing his hands to his mouth and away, "You will teach us to speak your language."

The Sioux spat at Elias, though he missed and his spittle covered the ground before Elias' boots.

Elias smiled calmly before standing as the Sioux began to shout madly, "hihpa ye wasicula ekta sipa wakasye watohal sna hpu!"

Elias turned away from the Indian who had began to writhe against his restraints, nodding to his men to do whatever it was they pleased. They were all greedily compliant as they closed in like a pack of hungry wolves.

Elias paused and reached the rains from Brennan from Jack and thanked him.

"Its a shame you'd have to see that, son," He said in his airy tone "-I'll walk you home."

Jack felt his heart leap.  
It was not easy for young Jack to not wince as muffled inhuman howls rose from the mass of people behind. It was shocking how quickly a crowd could turn feral with a burst of adrenaline. Jack wondered about how the man was restrained, guilt etched within.

Brennan walked to the right of Elias, who had Jack to his left. Elias looked up the hill, partially dreading the incline as they began to head upwards.

"Well," He said after a moments silence, "A new bruise to your collection?" He asked eyeing Jack's shiner with disgust.

"Oh... yeah," Jack muttered, feeling his bruised, swollen eye.

"I ought to have a word with him," Elias said partially to himself.

"No, sir," Jack almost stumbled, "not necessary, I can look after myself."

"You don't need to be formal with me, son," Elias told Jack, "Just Elias."

"Thank you, Elias."

Elias couldn't help but notice how the boy beside him would glance at Brennan in wonderment as the continued up the incline. He smiled quietly to himself.  
"Do you like my horse, Jack?" Elias said, "He's carried me over the mainlands for a long time now. He has brought me through battle fields and chased the quickest of stags."

"He's a great horse," Jack agreed, "I hope to buy myself a fancy as soon as the travelers bring the horses to sell."

"You won't get a good horse from them, Jack," Elias advised, "Let me take you to the village down South, there are always good horses available."

"That would be..." Jack couldn't possibly know what to say, "I'm lost for words."

"Its fine... how does the Sunday after next sound?"

"Like music to my hears," Jack hummed, "Thank you."

"Least I could do with you holding my horse. I'm very grateful."

Jack was feeling happy and overjoyed as he conversed non-stop with Elias. Elias said they'd go hunting and if Jack was good then he'd call when ever they planned one. He thought about taking down a deer. Elias told him that they'll have a race, Brennan and his new fancy. He was feeling so excite at the prospect.

"I'll teach you how to fight and maybe even use a gun."

Their conversation was long and both sides were interested deeply in the contents. Jack sobered as they came to a halt.

The Verdandi house appeared to lean over them. Jack turned to Elias, "My mother would have something for you to eat. Would you come in?"

The man seemed to consider the offer for a while and he patted Jack on the back, "I can't see why not, I'll inform them of how brave you were."

Jack watched the man walk passed to the door, he didn't consider holding a horse brave at all.

Shrugging to himself he followed the man to the house, Emily opened the door to greet them.

"Hello, young Emily."

Emily squeaked a greeting and ran to hug Jack who blushed in embarrassment. Elias smiled at the little girl as Lillian came to the door and almost dropped the coffee canister in her hands.

"Wuz e' done?" Came a slurred call from the kitchen.

"Your son has just done the town a big favor. Holding onto my horse while I interrogated a hostile."

"wha...?" Came Eugene's squiffy reply.

Elias shook his head in exasperation, "I'll head off Jack, It was nice to hold a _decent_ conversation with _you_."

Elias placed a hand on Jack's shoulder, eyes cascading down the younger boy's form before he turned and left.

"What sort of things came up in the conversation Jack?" Lilly asked looking flustered.

"We were talking about getting a fancy horse. He's taking me _the Sunday after next_ to go and buy one. As I said I wanted a horse. We're going to go hunting together."

Jack's mum smiled at her son, _that's great Jack._

"I saw Ellana today too," Jack said, he felt brave. He was sure that he would just say that he was going to propose to her now.

"Yes, and did she say anything dear?"

"Well, I meant to tell you that-" And he couldn't do it, not with his father drunk next door, not like this, "-that she is fine and doing well."

He dug his hand into his pocket and retrieved out the shillings from the sheep. His mum shook her head. "Keep them Jack," She then added very quietly as they stood there in the hall, "-I think you'd be more responsible with them."

Jack nodded and placed the shillings back in his pocket.

He followed his mother into the kitchen, where she served everyone the last ladles of broth left. They all ate quietly at the table. When Eugene threw up, Jack had been put off his food and headed for bed. He lit a bedside candle and brought out the book Ellana had written. He began to read her tall slanted writing; his eyebrows scrunched in concentration as he read...

'_My love hated the snow, the wind and the cold. These elements ailed his journey from coming to see me. He was always held up doing gracious jobs because he was a warrior. I wonder how long it should be before I see him again...'_

**Author's Note:**

**O.O {dat response...)**

_**Who guessed that the 'wild-men', 'Redskins' etc were Indians in the first chapter? If you did then you earn a flipping medallion! Congrats!**_

_**I cannot speak Lakota, I only know a few phrases, so if you speak fluent Lakota and I'm wrong, please don't be offended ;) just tell me so I can change it.**_

**The poor captive was saying:**

_**(1)"We are all related," He cried out, "Don't do it!"**_

_**(2)"I don't know."**_

_**(3)"I will watch/perceive as you go".**_

_**(4)"Your an enemy." **_

_**(5)"The whiteman's world will stumble and then crumble!"**_

**I just want to note that I nearly had a validity panic attack when writing this. I got my mum to read through it. She was like "they didn't have sheep in America back then." **

**Then I was like, "ROTG Y U LIE TO ME!?"**

**But then I found that Leicester Long wool sheep were popular and were raised in the early American colonies... before almost disappearing by 1930's.**

**So just for interest sake (and those that care) they are Leicester Long wool sheep and like Eugene said in last chapter: He's been raising them since his daddy died. How sweet...**

**Can you guys tell me if I am wrong about a certain feature. I do not study history, IDC about it :( (Only certain parts interest me). This was highly inspired by 'Dances with wolves'. If you have not watched that movie: GET OUT NOW! (only joking), watch it because a lot of this would be so simple. **

**I would also like to end saying: **

**I don't hate the Indians, I loved them. All the horrible stuff that will happen in this fiction... Genuinely occurred during the 1700. No one think about that while watching ROTG? **

**REVIEWS: **

**Lily Stark:**

Awww, wow thank you! I started to finish as soon as I read this comment.

**Honeydew: **

Well... here is your answers XD Thank you, for your comment.

**Amazing sound: **

Yay! I'm glad you are intrigued! Thanks for reviewing!

**Blackkyu:**

I hope you like where it goes ;) I'm very grateful for your comment

**Amararae: **

Wahoo! Lol I love that haha, I do my best to speedily update :D

**Reviewing **or** commenting **makes me stronger!** Please **do click on the dialogue box bellow and type in you're **opinion** on the story and how I can improve!

(I'll read and mention every one!)


	3. Chapter 2: Finding Felicity

**Meant to upload this a few days ago, though got in trouble for havin' a fight with some neighbours... I am currently now on strict parent watch :/ **

**OH! AND FINALLY JACK FROST HAS VISITED MY PART OF ENGLAND! SNOW SO DEEP! \O/  
I don't know if anyone noticed but I edited (rather heavily) chapter 2. I edited it because it sucked (most my stuff does) and there was a lot of mistakes. Anyway it is I will not post anything bellow 7,000 words unless I am dying.  
I'm partially proud of it. **

**So here we are: second chapter.  
Disclaimer: I don't own ROTG or the idea for its original characters however the plot and other characters belong to me, don't touch them.**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

**~* Finding Felicity *~**

Jack sat with his back planted against the old, oblique tree on the flat of the hill. Ben was loose grazing the best the animal could in the thick layer of snow. The ewe's and their daughters were dotted around a small perimeter, often looking up and staring off at nothing in particular with a void expression plastered across their faces.

The past few days had been as simple and as ordinary as any other: Jack had woken up, ate and then followed the sheep up to the top of the hill to watch them do nothing.

If there was one thing that he was grateful for, it was the time he had free to read Ellana's book and comprehend and over interpret every sentence, every syllable and every letter.

His analysing had come from the anxiety that he'd find something hidden within that might express negative energy towards him, though he found none. To his relief, of course.

Today was Saturday, as always he looked forward for the nearing Sunday. Today, Jack was venturing through the last pages, he had brought Ben up because through the nights he had not put the book down.

He was certain by Sunday he'd want to see Ellana, and he did. Though the cruel promise had been strewn and he was desperate to finish, as well as the fact that the book was surprisingly engaging; enough so that he had gone a few nights without sleep.

This was the reason he had ridden Ben up instead of walk on weary legs. He supposed his grumbling old man wouldn't be happy that he'd have to walk down to the tavern.

The book that Ellana had written was quite enthralling.

It told a tale of a fantasy world where a girl was left to worry over some guy that apparently bore an uncanny resemblance to Jack. If he were honest... it was a sad book. The guy she liked was a warrior who'd been caught and chained by a demon and to set him free the protagonist, female had to go on some quest that made walking on hot cobbles seem an easier task.

Jack had interpreted this as Ellana's unannounced devotion to him. He felt sourly grateful but rueful that he should be the one named useless in the story. He was on the last chapter, the climax was like a penetrating dagger.

By now the warrior, whom was called Druid, was battling against the demon. This character's emotions were conflicting with the wills that the demon was forcing on him: 'take the girl and suffer or leave her to the demon, walk away unharmed'.

Jack was deeply keen to finish but was tired as the small print extended on throughout a millennium of pages. However the suspense was keeping him awake throughout every chapter.

_How long had Ellana spent on this? _The boy's brow furrowed. She was using words he was ignorant to the definition of. She had described a character as Mercurial.

He knew how meticulous Ellana was. She always saw every aspect of a person and understood from the very day he had met her of the relish she possessedat using their little annoyances against them.

So by using this... word, she knew that it would deeply annoy him, that she understood something he revelled in, better. The character in question was a sneak and a shady figment of Ellana's creation. He had swapped sides from good to bad when he saw that it benefited him.

The sun in the sky was lowering. He looked up in annoyance to find his light source was beginning to dim. _A few more pages, _he begged before burying himself once more into the final chapter.

' _Druid came forth to slice the sword against the demon's hide. A terrible cry emanated from its hideous being as it twisted away in agony. _

_Druid saw me cowering in fear and took advantage of the creatures retreat and called me quickly. I was swiftly by his side and the beast, now outraged to be out-smarted then shot at us with its sickly green fangs snatching at the air before us. _

_Druid once again, swung the sword and slashed the demon's wart infested snout. I saw in his tense body a shallow relief and grim resentment. The demon's head clashed with the unseen ceiling above its head. The cave around us shuddered and before I could think; my warrior scooped me up in his arms like a fragile child. _

_I felt his haggard form struggle as he charged down the winding, dank, dark tunnel. I heard the demon's distant howls as debris fell from above... I believed surely we should be crushed.'_

One of the sheep bleated. Jack jumped in terror; suspecting the demon to suddenly appear as a being greater than fiction. He felt foolish for there was only the snow and surrounding dimness.

His gaze retreated back to the book as he read on.

Druid and the girl had escaped from the terrible cave. Somehow the man who was apparently sick and very much injured had managed to ask this girl to marry him. Either Ellana expected the readers to forget the injuries he had sustained or he was so madly in love with her that nothing would stop him from popping the question, Jack expected that much because the character had passed out shortly after.  
They went back home to the fictitious place called Shepherd's Hollow (cleverly named of course) and married at the church where songs of joy '_rang through the people and their hearts'. _

There the book ended with the inscription: _To my own love. _

Jack felt like doing something brave but what he could do, he knew not. He looked around himself and thought of finding Ellana.  
However this time the sheep called again. Interested in what was worrying the animal, Jack began to walk into the centre, around them all.  
Another began to bleat and then another before they were looking about them selves calling softly as the sun's light faded.  
Curiously Jack looked for an animal of greater intelligence: Ben.  
Ben's head was raised. Snowy, white powder from the ground dusted his muzzle as his interested face, ever watchful, turned to look toward the forest.

The boy placed the book into the pocket of his travelling cloak. Jack, feeling partially worried, made his way over to the horse and tightened the girth ( a strap that held the saddle on the horse).

Ben's head came up and he swung it around in annoyance. The boy spoke softly to the horse and patted the equine's forehead. He pulled down the stirrups and mounted, asking the horse forward and circling the sheep to examine them now he felt mildly safer.

The sheep began to become a symphony of wavering cries. They obviously saw something that Jack could not in the whispering shadows. Jack dug his heels in and asked the work-horse to move in a quicker pace. Ben complied with little effort on his part, coming forward as Jack rounded the sheep and began to push them at a quick pace down the hill. He had no want for worrying them and causing lameness but he was admittedly frightened for what may be hidden within the ominous line of the forest.

The sheep scurried downward to the farm, they knew were they had to go and were not bothered to do as was told.  
Knowledge told the eldest that when near the house, locked away in their field... they would be safe. Their young daughters followed their dams only willingly.

Jack pulled on Ben's reins. The horse paused with hesitance sidling momentarily as if discouraged by the distress of the sheep.

The forest always bore sneaky shadows that ticked the human eyes, but it was always best to seek a herd animal's advice when you suspect danger. It was instinct for a prey animal to know when danger was lurking, Jack was curious to find out what was causing the creatures' distress.

After finishing the book, he was feeling brave and so he squeezed Ben on encouragingly. Perhaps it was some stray dog or a late walker. Though he severely doubted it.

Ben became skittish and worried as they trotted across the flat and toward the forest. The horse tried to duck away but Jack, knowledgeable of his old tricks, was having none of it. He kicked him on and scolded under his breathe until he couldn't force the horse to go any faster than short, indecisive steps.

Ben's breathing was loud against the silence. Jack had momentarily forgotten how to breathe as he urged the solid horse forwards. He squinted at the darkness trying to make out the shifting shadows, too big for any deer or wolf.

With his heart begging for succulent oxygen, Jack inhaled softly, wanting to be quiet. Though Ben's heavy foot steps against the brittle foundation of snow-layered earth created a grimacing beat of hoof to ground contact.

Vapour shot from every breathe and dispersed into the thin air as Jack silently urged Ben forward. The still air made a rotten companion from the silence.

He had to duck as Ben passed a low branch, making note not to miss it on his way out. Trees passed by as the boy began to wonder whether the sheep's worrying had been a fluke, deciding just that, Jack halted near a withered tree and watched the darkness.

Ben seemed to flutter worriedly though Jack saw nothing and felt no valour to venture any further.  
Two horses abruptly burst from their hiding places.

Ben snorted and launched to the side, Jack caught himself from tumbling to the hard ground and pulled tightly against the reins for the animal's sudden panic to subside. Up turned mud flicked from all directions as their hooves churned against the ground. Urged by their Indian riders as they had been described: bare with no saddles to guide the horses.  
Jack's chocolate eyes locked onto a pair of their fearful, black ones.

The other howled something incoherent to his partner, probably to 'hurry the hell up,' as the others legs began to flap against his horse's sides in effort to get away faster. Before the blink of an eye they were submerged in darkness.

Ben reared with a hollow whinny twisting in the air. Jack would later think that the moment must have been quite a feat despite the animals big, hairy size.

"_Coward," J_ack hissed as Ben bolted in the direction of the house. The boy could hear the shouting and alarmed calls from where the horses and their riders had disappeared too fading in the distance.

The trees seemed to be angry at Jack because they reached out to slap at his cheeks. Branches snapped as they strode past, Ben huffing and blind to his every command.

"Steady up" Jack snapped as he put every effort into grounding the horse.  
Ben launched through the undergrowth and as he did so Jack's right shoulder conflicted with a low branch. The pain that erupted was tremendous. There was blackness flashing against his mind as his eyes streamed with water. Ben stumbled as the contact caused his reins to jerk against the metal bar within his mouth.

For a moment the boy expected him to stop but the horse was persistent as he galloped flat out down the flat and down the hill.

Every time the horse's hooves connected to the ground, it created a shock wave that travelled up wards and to his disconnected limb. To say painful would have been laughable.

Jack was lurched forward, left hand losing the reins to grab the other flailing arm.

Somehow the sheep were in their field and his blurred perceive caught Emily dragging Lillian from the house.

The horse charged passed, ears forward with excitement at the looseness and freedom now his master had been immobilised.

Lillian cried out in distress thinking the worst as Emily called her brothers name. "Jack!"

The decent to the bottom of the hill was reckless and chaotic. Ben was stumbling and sliding against his weight and the snow. Lights were buzzing around like tiresome flies.

Ben made a most ungainly skid as his hooves slid on the snow-layered, cobblestone path. Snow was sent into the air with the performance as the horse twisted away.

Jack was silently cursing his mount as Ben turned and charged up the street. The movement caused six familiar horses to whinny and startle by a tying post at the inn.

Someone shouted something no-one cared to heed as Elias came out, trailed by his fellow men points of alcohol in their hands as they watched the mad horse gallop around and pause at the dead end, it's rider lurched before the animal then decided to seek escape by coming back the way it had come.  
Elias forced his beer into the hands of the man next to him, the other four men did the same leaving Oliver Townsman standing comically trying to balance the alcohol in his meaty arms.

Someone waved their arms to prevent Ben from passing by, the horse turned into another man only to have his reins snatched and yanked.

"Hold still ye' ruddy brute!" someone ordered the animal, Ben only tossed his head in panic.

Someone hauled Jack off earning a pitiful howl.

"Hold up lad, someone stab you?"

"Out of the way, Sam," Elias ordered and pushed to take over. "Are you wounded Jack?"

Jack hissed something that sounded like, "What do you think?"  
Elias refrained from smirking, "Where boy, have you been shot? What happened?"  
"Looks like his arms broken," Someone pointed out helpfully.

Elias looked closely and brought up Jack's right arm to inspect it. Jack's head rolled back against the agony of having his arm pulled upwards as Elias shook his head.  
"No, its dislocated."

"What's happening!"

Ellana burst through the crowd of people, Mary by her side as she did so. Jack stirred at the familiar voice and opened his pained eyes to look for her beautiful face.  
"Oh my god," She almost howled at the sight of him, "what's happened to him?"

Jack fell limp with exhaustion and distress, Ellana came forward and smothered his face with her panicked, shaking hands, "Jack talk to me, what happened? Who did this to you?"

"I dunno... will you marry me?"

"Wha... Jack … Did you bang your head?" She began to sob stressfully as she moved a small hand to stroke away his thick hair from the sweat that veiled his clammy features.

"Hold on, we'll have to shove it back in," Elias conceited looking flustered.  
"Oh, hang on," Jack told him, "She never answered."

Elias' eyes widened in shock, the boy's eyes were rolling and his head was lolled back; if he wasn't groaning or heaving with agonised breathes they would have thought he were dead... And was he was asking a girl to marry him?  
"Jack your delusional!" Elias stated, expecting he'd been poisoned somehow.

"s'not," Jack slurred.

"Help me," Elias asked someone close by. The lanky child was lifted and the two men continued to haul him across the street towards where Billy and Harris lived.  
Elias called someone to get Billy out while he placed Jack down to sit at a work bench. There was an awkward quietness as Jack began to feel numb against the pain.

Billy came striding out, followed by Harris. The broad boy peered worriedly at Jack and looked questioningly at Ellana who shook her head, she held onto his left hand fondly. Unsure of what to do with herself.

"Christ," Billy spat as he hobbled next to Jack, "did that bastard do this to him?" The man asked and swung around to glare at them all accusingly.  
Ellias looked on distastefully, "I don't think so. All we can do is find out but... you've got experience with that haven't you?"

"Ai..." Billy said with a nod then pulled his sleeves up in preparation.  
"This might hurt, Jack, forgive me."  
Ellana closed her eyes as Billy forcibly pushed Jack's arm back into its respective socket. Jack's eyes rolled to the back of his head and he feinted. Lacking in eternal strength his body fell backward.  
"Is that supposed to happen?" Ellias asked worriedly, catching the boy from hitting his head against the rail behind.  
"S'pose its just a... a negative side effect of the treatment," Billy laughed dryly and turned away to pat Harris on the back. "When you did it, you screamed like a little girl you did."

Billy gave Harris a toothy yellow grin, Harris looked away in embarrassment.

They all turned as Jack stirred moments later. Billy laughed with worry as Ellias asked him, "what happened?"

Beads of sweat had formed on Jacks pale face as he felt reality shake him again.

"Stupid 'orse," He hissed and the man helped him sit up as the boy yelped, gripping his right arm.  
"Going to hurt for a bit," Harris told him helpfully, Jack looked up wistfully at Harris who looked as if he were about to throw up.  
"Somethin' scared the sheep, went to investigate and copped some damn Indians bei' nosy_"

"-Did you fist fight then?" Harris asked and for a slow moment everyone turned to look at him.  
Harris blushed, "I ugh... I'll go heat up the pot..."

Jack's friend disappeared and they all shook their heads, Ellias inclined as if to ask Jack to continue.  
"They galloped off as soon as I got too close."

"You went straight at them?" One of the men said impressively.  
Jack decided to leave out the part that he couldn't even see them at the time before they moved. Taking full credit he nodded remorselessly, "Ben, flipping coward-" Jack cursed softly "-ran off and I think we hit a tree."

The group looked around at one another worriedly before Ellias stood, "You should have come and found us."  
"They would have gone by then," Timothy Merwick reprimanded.

Another of Elias' followers: Isaac Ogden (Though they called him Ike), called out "Jack did good, someone buy him a point."  
"Here, here!" Called Sam crouch and Oliver Townsmen.

"I don't drink," Jack rejected the idea half-heartedly.  
"Nonsense, you've never had the chance to taste it. Can't be a man till you've had a healthy bottle of rum."

Jack looked to Ellana for help. Ellana, eyes red with tears, stood and smiled serenely at the older men in agreement. She helped him stand and they began to walk, arm in arm for support, from the working area with Ellias and his men.

"Did you mean it?" She asked softly.  
"What?" Jack asked, concentrating on Ellias who was organising a search party ready for the morning.  
"Marrying me," Ellana asked, "did you mean it?"

"I wasn't joking," Jack told her and remembered the book in his travelling cloak. He pulled it out and breathed a sigh of relief that it was still in a good condition despite the ordeal.  
"You read it all? In that short time?"  
"I couldn't get away from it," He said genuinely, wincing in pain as he sidled a little, "-and I wanted to speak to you again."  
Ellana looked as if she were prepared to cry again instead she buried her wet face into the root of his neck.  
"I'll marry you, you jerk."

"Jerk?" He asked pausing as someone came holding Ben. Jack glared at the horse.

"For being silly, you should have come for help," she scolded and he felt like a child for it.

Jack glanced at her sympathetically and remembered the sweaty work-horse being offered to him. Jack gave the horse a condescending frown, telling Ben in annoyance ",The meat man can have you, you spoiled coward."

Despite everything Ben looked blankly back at Jack as he had already forgotten what had happened.  
Suddenly Jack was engulfed with pain as Emily came out of nowhere, hugging his waist and jostling his tired, aching limbs. Lilly came bustling in from the crowd, to seek and torture his limbs with a loving embrace.  
"I thought you were dead," She said and her face was a whir of grief and tears, "slumped over that horse, I thought you'd been stabbed or shot or..."

"I'm okay," Jack said grimacing at the way he sounded.  
"I was told what happened, are you okay?"  
"Shining."

Lilly frowned at him, then looked to Llanelli with a tight smile.

Jack felt a silence begin to hang. He sighed and decided that it was now the time he must trust in his mother the next stage of which he was now willing to take on with Ellana, "I've just asked Ellana to marry me, she has accepted to become my wife."

The crowd that had come around to see what had happened or whether the eldest son of Eugene Verdandi was well all cheered in happiness. Lilly looked furious.  
Ellana also looked remorseful now that Mary had looked sadly down at the floor, she was in no hurry to see her daughter leave but would not deny her of something she wished to do.

"Jack..." Lilly whispered, "I don't understand."

Jack looked like a dog that had been thrown out into the garden, he didn't want to make a decision between his mum and Ellana. He had assumed that she would have understood. Jack fell silent in the stretching melancholy moment. Ellias then entered Lillian's personal space to whisper something into her ear. Lilly glanced around herself quickly before melting away; acquiescing to it concededly.  
"Would I see you back at the house?" his mother asked softly, suddenly looking defeated.  
"I might stay in the inn," Jack shook his head, "I'll be up in the morning."

"Okay," His mother said and had taken the reins of Ben from the village tanner, a man called Wily.  
Jack was guided away by men who excitedly turned him toward the inn, arm in arm with Ellana as he looked behind himself to see the forlorn figures of his mother and Emily walk away. He felt sadness stir before the good humour around had revived a new energy.

The inn or tavern, whatever you'd prefer, was a charming palace for the purple-faced-man. The village had needed the inn to splash out good humour and dull the fear of losing lime light from other settlements.  
The interior was oaken and homely, there was a fire-place that was continuously heating some sort of supplement; washing the room with an autumn amber glow. There was tapestry displaying a hunt with hounds dotting the threads in search of a hidden fox; hanging above the fireplace along with varied animal heads that stared silently into the activity bellow. All trophies had held a story and the men appeared to enjoy howling and sharing them in a repeated fashion every day.  
By now, two were red in the face and were tickled with laughter none could explain. Someone was singing and Harris was conversing with two other lads, Jack knew from younger years.

Elias and his men were near Jack like a bad smell, not that he minded but the sudden interest in him made the boy feel uncomfortable. However, by now, when the sun was long gone from its place in the sky, he had somehow become one of them.

Originally there were five men in the group that followed behind Elias. The number had been docked of one since the incident yesterday. William Hopkins was a good man and he'd be missed for the brave chap he was.

The youngest, though still older than Jack, was Sam Crouch. He was averagely sized, but husky man with hair as yellow as oat straw with two, round eyes and the features that would remind one vaguely of a pig. He was the one who tried hard but had very little common sense. "As common as muck," Jack remembered his mother once say. He supposed Sam was there because his heart, even though he could be difficult to talk to, was in the right place. He was also more brave then stupid; which was probably be another supporting factor.

His horse was called Harvest, a chestnut creature that had no fancy carriage or specific markings. Its tail was a lighter flaxen and he had been known to have owned Harvest since he'd bought the gelding five years ago.

Timothy Merwick was a good friend of Elias, often viewed as his adviser. He was often the peace keeper as well. He was tall with high set cheek bones and thin chestnut hair. His eyes were a deep, calm green with a hardness settled into them that could only be in a man that had seen the things that Timothy supposedly had. Being a traveller before settling down at Burgess, he rarely spoke of his stories, only that once he had a wife. Had. Timothy's horse was much like Brennan, being tall at the withers (The highest part of a horse's back, lying at the base of the neck above the shoulders ) and was stocky but with long legs. Her head was always carried with dignity and the horse's hard features rivalled that of it's master. Shutter, as it had been named, was a dappled grey mare and Timothy said she was bred for hunting bears. But he may have been humouring the ladies that were accompanying him at the time, Jack had only overheard.

Isaac Ogden, or Ike, was a hardy man with a thickset jaw that made him look menacing. He was tall and lively. He was unabashed by any blade and was always quick to hack at anything, he frightened a lot of people by the way he was but like a dog he was never a toe out of line in the eyesight of Elias.  
His horse was the smallest but finest of the lot. Being a dark bay with a plucky head and raised tail, never timid but ready to gallop and turn at any moment, Ike called him Archie and road swiftly. No one had a better aim than Isaac with a bow, making him a good member in the team.

Oliver Townsman was a simple man, well built but smaller than the others. He had a head with thick mouse brown hair with dusty, kind eyes. His face always looked pale and lax which only made him appear sickly but Oliver was clever and uncanny which must have rubbed off on Misfit. Misfit was Oliver's horse, a shiny stock horse, that walked with leisure and serenity. She was a bay mare, two white socks; one on the front leg and one on the opposite back with a white star that protruded out from underneath her forelock.

Jack felt a little sad as he thought of these men. Their horses were respected as much as they were. He'd just proven with the previous events that he couldn't even control a common farm-horse let alone one of these fiery fancies.

He exhaled softly as he zoned out of the conversation that had occurred about some thief that Ike had encountered on his travels. Jack wrapped his arms around Ellana, to show he hadn't forgotten about her.

She leaned back into him and her warmth comforted his troubles, "Thanks for being here," he whispered softly to her, knowing that usually she shied away from loud men.

She 'hummed' back to him appreciatively, Jack was glad no one had the audacity to kick her out because if her gender, god save the first drunken fool to leer.

But no-one would, they were all friends and the only one's who would even consider it would be too drunk to remember who they were or young, immature with the brain that would rival a lower IQ level than the sheep Jack cared for.

Sam turned and slammed a point of golden liquid down beside him, holding one up as his as his gristly, yellow beard.

"Have a good drink lad," Sam boomed, pink in the cheeks, "make you feel better."

Jack would have refused should it have been someone else but for Sam to purchase a whole point was very generous.

Elias watched from the corner of his eyes whilst somehow also deep in conversation with Oliver who failed to notice or care.

Ellana smiled slyly to herself feeling how tense the boy had come. She supposed he must have thought he'd be stumbling on the spot for being in the presence of such a liquid. She knew for a fact that Mary would agree with Jack on this one.

Jack sipped innocently, keeping his face straight against the foreign taste of rum. It was severely watered down but the taste was still there.

Ellana's smile caught his eye and he smiled back before deciding he could happily finish this without little pushing but also didn't want to look like a pig, so he let the three-quarter-full canister rest back against the table.

Sam seemed dissatisfied that Jack hadn't been openly disgusted by the rum and placed a hand up for the inn-keeper to return.

"Try the firewater!" Sam then grinned, passing Jack a very small glass of a cheeky looking liquid.

Elias turned with Oliver now, and they all watched as Jack stared down at the tiny glass in his rosy hands. He was shallowly sad that Elias had not put an end to Sam's attempts at making him look a fool, perhaps he was just trying to be nice?

They all began to urge him on, chanting his name, and surprisingly Ellana joined in too.

Jack smiled, determined not to be the one to ruin the fun despite disliking the thought of letting himself be hauled into such habits. He swung his head upwards downing the whole glass, inexpertly. His eyes watered suddenly at the hot, choking sensation that lapped around his mouth. He felt like he needed a glass of water but kept a brave face despite himself to show that he could handle it.

Elias and Timothy laughed at the mask they saw through, patting Jack on the back before returning to their conversation. Oliver smiled softly tom himself at the other men clapped their hand and praised the lord. The heat of the inn was boiling and Jack found no better warmth since Ellana, he felt like part of the village for the first time in his life.

After a while, Jack was adamant about refusing anything that looked alcoholic, Ellana was with him and he wasn't ready to get intoxicated. The men waved him down the least he could moan about was that the pain he was experiencing had dimmed.

There was mutton being handed out, Jack had acquired a leg and was sharing it with Ellana.

Several people had gone home to their beds and wives, Ellana was resting heavily against Jack and he felt like a pestering fox as she drowsily told him she was not tired.

Over in the corner Harris was arguing with one of his friends... or possibly ex-friends now. What it was about was for anyone to guess but they were in each others faces, like bulls locked at the horns.

Jack shifted in concern, absently waking Ellana who blinked around before seeing Harris and this other boy, she recalled as Albert, face to face and ready to settle their problem. Sam placed a hand on Jack's shoulder eyeing him before saying calmly, "don't worry none, little boys have squabbles all the time. Just sit and watch, bet a bit if your feelin' lucky."

Jack's eyebrows knitted, "Harris is my friend Sam, I can't_"

"-Sure you can, if you get involved, he'll be ashamed," Sam waved him down laxly "-support him!"

Everyone was laughing and slipping bets between each other as the two boys, Jacks age began to square each other off, glaring and spouting cruel remarks.

The inn-keeper kept his eyes up, he looked bored, so long as nothing of his was broken.

"I put twenty shillings on Harris then," Jack said loudly enough for some people to turn and stare with jaws open to show white, yellow, missing, broken, slanted teeth glinting as the fire seemed to crackle against them indignantly.

"I bet twenty 'gainst you then, my son'll make sure work of that," Albert's father bounced across and shook Jack's hand.

"Don't do that," Ellana warned, "what if he loses?"

"Harris won't lose," Jack replied wanly.

"You don't look so sure," Ellana looked crossly at him.

Jack smiled crookedly at her and she rolled her eyes, "Albert's father taught him how to use a sabre and a gun."

"Harris is a blacksmith and he was born here like me," Jack disagreed, "This doesn't include sabres either, its a fist fight... I think."

Ellana couldn't help but shake her head, "It doesn't matter where someone comes from Jack." The men around Jack were silent.

"I'll make you ugly, I will, pretty boy," Albert's podgy face sneered at Harris.

Harris glowered back at the boy he thought of as a comrade, "If that is how it is then I have little work to do with you, if you don't mind me saying."

Albert huffed and stormed forward, flattening Harris to the ground. Jack felt uncomfortable to watch as Albert swung miss-aimed hit at his best friend.

Harris' lip split and he fell back into the crowd, before he was pushed back with their howls. Albert when to get him again forcing Harris down.

"Round one goes to, Albert," Laughed the boy's father, he smiled toothly at Jack as Jack stood and helped Harris up.  
"Tell me you lulling him into a false sense of security," Jack asked looking worriedly at his friend.

Harris shook his head as Jack helped him up.  
"Din' think he could hit that hard," Harris said, stumbling a bit.

"You won't, He said you mum was a fat, ugly cow yesterday-" Jack lied, "He was telling all the lads."

"What!?" Harris snarled and launched toward Albert who squealed in surprise.

They wrestled and hits went whizzing passed Harris' handsome face as he pummelled each well-aimed fist into Albert.

Harris was dragged of the other, by men bustling with smiles as he spat blood and anger from his mouth, "don't ever say anything about my mother again!"

Albert groaned and curled up into himself, rejected the hands that offered him up to continue the fight. Jack and Harris shared a manly hug, Jack looking in his element as the other looked like a startled cat.

Albert father nudged his son roughly, "Pathetic," He snarled indignantly.

He wobbled over to Jack, shoved the fitly weighty coin purse in his hand before all but dragging Albert out by the ear. Jack grinned wickedly as Harris raised his eye brows in suspicion.

"He didn't really say anything about my mum did he?" Harris asked as Jack offered him a drink.  
"No," Jack chuckled deeply. Harris laughed in his own good nature, "Well I'm going to bed."

Ellana was by Jacks side now the fight had subsided, Harris tilted his head, "night miss."

Ellana rolled her eyes as the broad boy disappeared out of the wooden doors, men patting his back in congratulations as he left.  
Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, Jack wondered if it were like this all the time.

"Are you going home?" Jack asked Ellana politely before she shook her head as if the idea was simply detestable. She confided to him that she'd stay with him tonight.

That made Jack feel happier about the situation. Maybe all of this had happened for a positive outcome after all. He was happy and she was happy.

Jack took her hand in his and called up the inn-keeper to tell him that they'd want a room.

Shortly after the two disappeared up the creaky stairs, the inn-keeper called everyone to leave.

…

He woke up next to Ellana. The previous day felt so fictional he could hardly remember what had happened. He recalled injuring himself and asking Ellana the question but everything seemed a blur.

He let his head rest against the pillow heavily; studying the room as his fiancé dozed beside him. The room was made from wood and paint that was beginning to detach from the walls. There was a table with a candle and a small dresser with an old mirror reflecting the couple from the opposite of the bedside.

It was Sunday. _My day off, _He thought wistfully. Though he supposed it would be best they wake up for church.

Though he also didn't want to rouse Ellana next to him. Her hand over his chest and she was nuzzled up against him, her face was relaxed. The night had possibly been the most warm night he had slept through with her beside him. He felt grateful to god for letting the two meet.

She shifted with a stifled yawn before her blue eyes opened to see his brown pair. "Does your head hurt?" She asked, closing her eyes again.  
"I'm not hung over," he defended himself with a grin, "I hardly drank."

Ellana chuckled and buried deeper against him, "so bony."

He didn't know how to reply to that, he couldn't help being thin. He remembered someone buying mutton to share and felt sick slightly.  
"What's worrying you?" Ellana asked, cracking open an eye as he fell silent.

"Nothing, we have church."

Truthfully he was worrying about the sheep and Emily was probably alone with the two brothers. It also meant that Eugene would have to see to setting the trap up... but it would be more likely for them to walk down not because of Ben being tired but Eugene being too lazy to sort the horse out.

He sighed softly and Ellana, ignorant to his troubles, had guessed he was worrying for something else, saying: "Church has turned into a chore more than anything."

"No..." Jack replied softly, "Faith is a good thing to have."

Ellana giggled at his antics before shifting and stretching.  
"Well, we better get ready for some faith."

* * *

Jack walked through the church doors, surprisingly early with Ellana striding in after him. The two had decided that to celebrate their engagement they should go ice skating on Lake Burgess. Ellana had loved the idea of being taught how to skate.  
Jack had sneakily re-entered his house to change clothes (as she had) and found his and his mothers un-used pair of leather skates.

Lilly had greeted him in the kitchen, she asked if he'd like anything to eat but he couldn't say yes. He wasn't hungry. She told him that they'd be walking to church instead of use Ben who was still exhausted from his 'outing' yesterday.

Hearing movement on the second floor, Jack decided to stay away from his father. He wasn't sure how Eugene would take the news. It'd just give him another reason for the man to be angry.  
Jack then had made his way back to find Ellana waiting for him before entering the church especially early for the day.

"I'm glad it is as such," the priest acknowledged Jack. He was a small, haggard looking man who had seen more years go by than Jack had saw sheep be born.  
His hair was greying and eyes were glazed with a dimmed trance as he regarded the young courters.  
"Did you announce it?"  
"Yesterday, afternoon."

The priest nodded at this information before he continued.

"And your parents?"  
"My mother told my father and she agreed," Jack left out the specific fact that he had not actually spoken to his father about it. He'd keep it that way if he could, but Ellana was speaking about their own house. Jack thought about the top of the hill, of course he'd have to find his father's permission. He swallowed slowly.

"As you know, normally we would be sending note to the magistrate but it would appear that the only note receivers are those from Fort Michilimackinac. However, they have no concern for us. Burgess is only a small town."

It was hard not to notice the worry in his tone before he shook his head, "However as I am also clergy I agree to be there to seal your bringing together. God bless you both and I hope we should see more children to liven this town up, I fear we have been forgotten in the eyes of those who originally posted our father's fathers."

Jack and Ellana looked worriedly at one another, considering the dire situation. Had Burgess truly been forgotten?

Truthfully Burgess was a town left alone as the earliest settlers had wagered their generation's futures by moving so far inland at the time of migration. Especially in such a secluded area. Jack saw it only fitting that the town would be excited about the proposal of a new family in the not so populated village.

Before any more could be said though, people began to flood into the small hall of the frigid church. Jack took Ellana to sit at the front as Mary too entered, smiling now she had thought everything over.

"Congratulations upon your daughter's engagement," Charles said, his had reaching out for Mary's own.  
"Thank you, of course I am very proud. I am also scared."

"You are not losing your daughter, there is no need for fear."

Mary turned and took a seat by Ellana, seeking her daughter's hand as the two spoke softly together.

Lilly, Emily and the twins then came down. Eugene was absent and of course Charles noticed this. "He's taken very ill," Lilly told him, her eyes could not meet Charles worried ones.

"Congratulations on your sons engagement, "May Eugene feel in better health soon."

Jack glowered across at one of the pillars supporting the church. Somehow he had figured that his father would turn in absent now he hadn't a ride down. Though he looked questioningly at his mother as she sat next to him.

"Does he know?" Jack whispered.  
"Yes," Lilly replied quietly, "He's happy. Proud, in fact, I am too."  
Jack smiled appreciatively at her as she said, "I apologize for yesterday, I feel like I've lost you."

"You haven't," Jack told her firmly. She would always have her own special place in his heart.  
Emily looked downcast, He knew why, though at least it was just her and not Lillian as well.  
"We're going to lake Burgess, if its frozen over, we'll be skating."

Lilly nodded as Emily butted in, "Would you teach me how to ice-skate?"

"One day," Jack told her kindly.

Emily looked happy again and so began the day.

* * *

"_Be careful," Lilly called after the two.  
__Jack turned, his face rosy and eyes bright with excitement, "Don't worry, we will."  
"C'mon!" Ellana tugged him, jokingly.  
Lilly folded her arms to watch the two leave as Mary came forward to watch them walk with her. "Do you fancy some tea,Mary?" _

…

"Jack, I'm really scared," Llanelli said, she was haunched looking worriedly down at her feet.

"Look at me," Jack said, "its okay, come on."

He held out his hands. The two had been out here for a quite a while now. The lake was completely iced over and Jack was playing his old tricks of leaving poor Ellana to torment her. Though she was now tired of the joke.

Lake Burgess was a beautifull lake. It was a deep blue in the summer with trees that reached towards its middle.

However in the winter it usually frosted completely over.

Ellana came forward, feeling embarrassed, "kids do this sort of stuff," She huffed.  
Jack grinned and she grabbed him as soon as he was in arms length.

"Idiot," She scolded, "Your a jerk."

Her anger only caused him to laugh, unsteadily. Before he fell and dragged them both down. Luckily Ellana had the humour to laugh too.

"C'mon," Jack said, glancing sadly up at the sun, "Best we return home, hmm?"

"I should think so," She said though she still sat on the freezing cold ice.  
"How long will that journey be with Elias?"  
"Three days, hopefully two. Can I bring you something back?"

"You don't have to do that," She said as he helped her up, "Come home safely?"

She then evilly patted his still aching shoulder, "_and not in pieces."

* * *

**Boring ending, I know :P **  
**_Next chapter, the little trip begins, would you guys want me to do some scene cutting to what Ellana and co are up to?_**

_Do not say that I don't love you guys. I was up hours researching for this crappy story. I wanted to title them as puritans (because to my knowledge it was mostly puritans who wanted religious escape during colonial times). But Now I have to go back and revise the sentence that said something about Christmas (which was looked down on apparently).  
I then researched weddings and stuff and found nothing too helpful but that puritans believed in love. It was a civil contract more than religion. I also found that it was more down to magistrates more than clergy. Since this is a small town the clergy job has been pushed onto the priest. I also found some interesting information too. Lake Burgess is like 13 hours from Massachusetts and resides in Michigan. I think that would give a good reason for the village to be forgotten (as I've mentioned) because they are so far... any way I thought that was interesting..._

**Make me omnipotent by commenting or reviewing! I slowly fade into nothingness if you don't :(...**

**Chapter 2 Review/comment reactions:**

**EpicDetour9- **_Thank you very much, that comment made my day. I was a little worried about including some romantic interest in this. But I had an idea and it'll make the story a thousand times more interesting. I need to work on other stories but I have little conviction for something less appreciated so thank you. _

**blackjack_ – _**_I do too. Indians were treated in a terrible way (not saying there weren't nasty Indians) but the one's that meant no harm came to harm through hate and ignorance, that's a theme I want to get across in this. Thanks for reading and commenting!_

**Amaranth- Say**_, but you need to eat and sleep, run along with you! _

**Portugal Daughter of Artemis- **_Thank you, I smash my keyboard when I'm overjoyed so a;f';thanks! :) _

**Bullfight- Loop**_! Thanks for loving it. Unfortunately there were a lot of a**holes throughout those days... If you think that already then your going to detest him later ;) _


	4. Chapter 4: Shady And The Grey

**Sorry about the long wait, my friends. I have been very busy looking after horses and dying cos I've lost my job :( Will write for money? (only joking). I've also not been very well and exam season is here! Yay... :U **

**I got five reviews within about an hour of posting the second chapter. I could cry with glee! I'll answer reviews **_**up **_**here today :) I will upload the cover for it with this chapter too. I did it a while ago but didn't want to give too much away with what Jack's horse would look like. **

**Reactions to reviews:**

**SkyHighFan-** Thank you for commenting on both chapter 1 & 2. To your question I cannot answer specifically, I don't like answering questions that may cause people to stop speculating. But imagine the consequences that would be brought out if your hypothesis were true? First off, how would Eugene take it? He's given Jack his lively hood. Then there would be the shame for Lillian to have given birth to someone else's child whilst married. What would it mean for Elias, who is the role model and the person the village relies on as their leader? Interesting theory all the same.

**Trix1015- **Thank you very much for commenting and providing me some motivation. I am also happy that you have also followed the story.

**Blackkyu- **Thank you. I am glad you are enjoying it so far :)

**LightMyBulb- **I almost died with happiness. FANART!? :U Never had some fanart before... I feel like a celebrity. Maybe a picture of Ben tanking of with Jack as the Indians are escaping? Any art would be appreciated! My DeviantArt is the same as my user so message me if you have an account :) Thank you for that, my day got so much brighter at the concept of fanart! I'm glad you are liking the story. I'm about to cry!

**Mananai- **Thankyou! Amazingly written? YAY! That's very kind of you, I will finish this! I have never felt so much compassion for a story as I have for this.

**Yami's Devil- **D: don't you like?

**Trix1015-** Yes, I am finishing it, I have it all planned out, I even spoke to Marcus sedgewick about it, can you believe that!? But yes, I somehow will finish it! D: Thank you for saying it is really good though, I appreciate that :)

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Rise of the guardians. However Jack frost was sprinkling snow over my town and... muhahaha well... He is now within my clutches and will never escape! MUHAHAHAHAHAHA! *cough

**Ahem... Enjoy: **

**Chapter 3**

**~* Shady and the grey *~**

The Sunday after next had finally arrived. Jack was up and preparing for the coming journey.

Jack had never felt so excited in a long time, the journey offered some change to the routine. He only ever left on visits to the lake with his mum, brothers and mother.

Everything was finally going his way for once, he had his chance to go with Elias, had a beautiful fiancé and a stable finance that he'd been saving for over four years now.  
He only had to ask his father for the small bit of land on the hill for a house and then find out how in the world he would build it. He'd need wood and power. Billy and Harris would help, he knew, if he slyly mentioned it then they would offer.

That would be where the problems would begin to build on themselves, he wasn't sure whether his dad would consider letting him have the land up on the hill... he had been avoiding the man all together for the whole week so... when would he pluck the courage to ask?

He shrugged to himself and stood, filling in the check-list in his mind of what he'd need, clothes and money. Couldn't forget the money, it was his foundation for his new companion. How excited he was couldn't be rivaled at the moment.

Happily the boy brought the saddle-pouches over his shoulders and made his way downstairs into the kitchen where his mother was standing silently over the heath, peering in at the embers as she peeled away a basket of small potatoes.

"Mum?" He asked, somewhat hesitantly.

Lilly looked up to see him, "I hope you'll be okay."

She looked on the verge of tearing up and Jack moved in to hug her, chuckling as his mothers shoulders slumped onto him.

"I don't want to see you go," She wept, sobbing into his shoulder.

"I'm not leaving forever" He sighed, it felt like he was explaining himself to a child, "Does dad still know?"

Lilly sobered up and straightened, her eyes staring back at her hands as she continued her work with the potatoes.

"I made sure to tell your father when he wasn't drunk."

"And?" Jack pushed anxiously.  
"He knows about yourself and Ellana too, but he heard that from Billy, not me."

He didn't know why it mattered what source passed it onto the man, so long as it was not someone negatively biased against the idea. Billy was perfect for the job since he could make anything bleak sound positive and useful... as he had when the Indians had stolen the cattle.

Either way Jack couldn't help but feel worried. Lilly fell silent before she looked up at him and told him carefully, "He's sitting in the fireplace room, he hasn't slept all night, I think he was thinking of you."

The way she had said it was careful and precise, as if encouraging a skittish lamb to take feed from the hand.

Jack nodded and took that as an order to go and see him before leaving.

Jack turned away and pulled on his travelling cloak, shoes and placed the pouches by the front door. There was no harm in providing one's self with a quick exit.

Though, before he could make his way to the room, Emily bombarded him with her presence. Tears were spouting from her pretty, little face as she sobbed with outstretched arms.

Jack had no choice but to pick her up as she wailed, "Don't leave me Jack!"

"I'm not," Jack told her and she gripped him tightly, "I'd never."

"But you're marrying her an' you don't want to see me any more."

"Of course I do, why would I ever not?"

Her sobs seemed to be stifled as she looked back at him with her big, round brown eyes.

"Would I ever trick you?" he asked, smiling calmly.  
"Yes," she whimpered, unhelpfully.

"Well, I'm not tricking you now. When I get back, you can ride my new horse."

"Can we play games?"

"Sure" He assured her, "now, I've got to go speak to father. Behave yourself."

She nodded and left to join her mum as Jack placed her down. He patted her on her head as she went by. He then turned and passed through the kitchen into the sitting room.

Goose bumps sprung upon his arms and legs as he nervously entered. Within the fire place lay a pile of cold, black ash where a flame had once flickered.

His father was perched deeply upon the chair facing the fire-place before the man noticed Jack and stood.

The two stared evenly at one-another. Eugene looked away though, swallowing his pride and waving his hand to summon his tall son forward, "let me look at you."

Jack came forward, failing to withhold his hesitance as he stood the length on an average fox away from Eugene.

Eugene looked him up and down, piggy eyes squinting against the dim light that the room possessed.

"I am so proud."

Jack almost took a step back. He had not been expecting those words to ever leave his father's mouth, he'd always appeared disappointed. To hear them now was such a shock.

Eugene held open his arms and came forward, hugging Jack stiffly, patting him lovingly on the back. As he stepped back, tears brimmed in his eyes.

"You must see me as a bad man, I know." He stepped away and sat down, tiredly.

Jack stared back like a dumb sheep while his father seemed to stare at nothing in particular, Jack couldn't help but wonder if he was remembering something distant.

"But have I been wrong?" Eugene asked dryly, "You are not pig-headed like those boys down in the village. You are smart, smarter than me. You have ambition, something I've never had."

The man looked away from himself as if looking for his next recurring sentence, "I am proud of the beautiful daughter, wife and sons I have. There is nothing more that I can ask for."

He then stood, walking over to the fire place and retrieved the shepherd's crook from its place bellow the plaque.

Jack visibly tensed and looked like he were a shadow, preparing to shrink away from the light.  
Eugene either ignored this or never noticed because he came forward presenting the crook like a magical sword.

"This belonged to the first Verdandi bloodline to set foot on these lands," He explained, "It has been passed down but I have never used it as it should have been."

He looked warily up at Jack, studying him before continuing, "It was actually given to your mother by my father."

Jack's eyebrows almost met in confusion.

"I'll never know why. I remember being jealous because of it and she never commented when I took it for myself. I would suppose it would be okay to give it to you."

He held it toward Jack who paused before tentatively taking the crook from him.

Eugene straightened.  
"I am happy you are getting married, my son. I will be speaking to the priest who will be serving as our clergy for you today. You will marry on the Sunday that marks the end of winter, to start new life in spring. Continue the bloodline of the family_" Eugene's body racked with a dry cough. "-Your mother and I have also been speaking. She insists we allow you to have the five acres upon the top of the hill, facing the forest, for your own. As a man, I trust you with the care of that small space of land."

Jack had been taken aback. So much so that he too felt water well behind his eyes, but he refused to lose them.

"You are leaving for several days I believe. I will see that the sheep are fed and looked after. Come home safely. That is all I have to say for now."

Jack had nothing to say. Instead he decided to hug his father. His long arms wrapped around Eugene's portly belly, not quite meeting at the finger tips.

Eugene was silent, his eyes trailed away as Jack felt for the first time the warmth of his dad. He was now grateful and felt that it was _he _who had perhaps been the one who had wronged. Had he mistaken his father's actions all this time?

He felt good in himself; he felt he had made himself into a role model. "Thank you," He said softly to Eugene who nodded into the silence and sat back down as Jack left the room.

Colin and Edward were both up and standing at the bottom of the stairs. Edward had picked up one of the pouches and handed it to Jack before the eldest of the three could pick it up. hearing the door knock.

Jack was feeling weak with his emotions; he wasn't sure how long he had been waiting for those words from that man. He was sure that he had given up waiting for them, in fact. The crook in one hand, he used the other to pull open the door to see Sam crouch.

"You ready?" Sam asked looking agitated that he had been forced to stand in the foot of snow, waiting for Jack to hurry up.

"Yup," Jack replied, picking up the saddle-pouches and striding out to meet Elias and the rest of the men, all sitting on their horses, prepared for the travel with rolls of blankets, pouches and bags full of necessary items.

William Hopkin's wife had been very kind in allowing Jack to use William's horse.

Jack supposed she was still grieving; still thinking about how she can sort her life out now William was gone. It made Jack wonder about losing someone again, before he shook his head and let the idea dissolve away. The horse was a liver-chestnut, lithe beast. It averaged the size of the rest in this small group; around 16hh- give or take. He had no specific characteristics Jack cared to notice but an aerodynamic, plucky head.

He knew the horse was called Riley, so he supposed he better start by greeting the animal. First impressions were always important and Jack had no intention of upsetting an experienced stallion three times his size.

"Hello there," He said softly in his lamb's voice.

Riley didn't bother to turn his head around to even look at Jack. Jack failed to notice the amused smirk that slithered it's way up Ike's thin face. He pouted at the horse and decided, after Sam huffed grumpily, that it would be best to begin their little escapade.

Oliver was holding Riley with one hand by the bridle while his reins to his own horse were tight in the other. Jack gratefully took the reins after pulling the saddle pouch straps securely through the 'D' rings of Riley's saddle fastening them on to the strap of the pouches.

Jack mounted with little trouble and found Riley was a lot narrower under the knees than Ben was. There was more neck too. He was feeling like he was sitting on the animal's shoulders more than the back, though he felt excited that he'd be soon used to this feature.

They waited for Sam to struggle onto Harvest who was forced to sidle slightly as the ungainly man hefted himself up.

"Right then," Elias said as the horses began to shift underneath them in anxious excitement.

The man dug in his heels and Brennan turned away and shifted alongside Ike and his horse Archie.

Oliver teamed up with Sam leaving Timothy and Jack to ride alongside each other. The two paused as he waited polity for Timothy to take the lead but the man seemed to hesitate for a split second. Jack felt as if Timothy was pausing for him. It was like he was waiting for Jack to get his bearings or to let everything sink in. However, Jack wanted to be seen as an adult, he had his bearings. He clicked his tongue which urged Riley in a quick forwards motion. The stallion's head was up and his hocks pushed away into the troublesome snow.

They began a quick paced trot down the incline; Jack looking back behind him to watch as his mother and Emily watched them depart from the door way.

He waved to them with a crooked grin before gripping both reins within his one hand and the crook in the other. He saw it best to take the crook, it was like a badge, or a title. I am the village shepherd... but I am also leaving away with these law abiding men to spend my money on something completely off-topic. He shrugged uncomfortably.

Riley was an awkward ride, being sleeker than Ben. His strides were also longer and more jostling. They all came into the village and trotted down before Elias paused now Ellana was waiting outside of her abode.

She nodded to Elias who had the decency to pause the whole group for her to pass words between herself and Jack.

"Come home safely?" She said as she came close, skirting warily around Riley's head.

"Of course, everyone is making such a big deal out of it all. Would you have me bring anything back for you?"

She smiled cheekily and leaned forward, "nothing more than anything I already have."

Jack's lips twitched, ears hot as he blushed. He leaned down, quite a feat for the horse he was on, to kiss her.

"Be safe, don't go getting distracted."

"You be safe too," He replied softly.

"I love you," she whispered, as if it were a secret.

"I love you too," He replied, aware of Timothy's scrutinizing gaze upon his back.

For a pregnant moment they waited for each other to do something, neither wanting to be the one to say goodbye. Ellana was the first to move as she drew back and smiled encouragingly at him.

They then set off again, now setting a quicker pace. Onwards in a trot.

They reached the end of the market area, which was empty now that the snow had taken over. The sky was empty of clouds and the sun shone against the quiet, ice blanket that had been left on the ground the previous night.

Passing the old well was where they had finally left the village.

One thing Jack had already come to understand is the difference between these horses and Ben's heavier type. Ben would have just ploughed through the deep snow beneath them with little care for loss of energy. These finer-boned horses lifted themselves out of the snow, quicker but still struggling against the icy endeavor.

Riley's ears were back and he held his head indignantly. They crossed the short clearing and into the forest where their sight of the small settlement would be lost in the winter trees and the undergrowth.

After a short while the horses were in a faster canter sometimes hopping against the snow every now and then when their hooves began to feel distant. Jack felt bad for their efforts but rather them than himself.

"Nice girl," Timothy said to Jack, cutting a wound for conversation.  
"I wouldn't say that," Jack joked, "you haven't seen her when she's _really _angry."

Timothy laughed to that and asked the boy riding alongside him, "do you think she's the marrying sort?"

Jack looked sideways at the man, he wasn't sure how to answer that.

Timothy had waited a second longer for an answer. Jack's face was crumbled in concentration as he thought about what he should say. The boy obviously found it hard to answer simple questions. Perhaps it had been from the lack of socialization. With only the sheep keeping him from solitude, Timothy found it no surprise for the inability. In fact it made him sad.

It wasn't that Jack didn't know the answers but more that he wasn't quite sure how to say something. Or so the man thought, _per haps I am just reading to far into something, I am biased because of Elias_.

"I mean," he rephrased "-does she compare much to your mother?"

Jack, looking a little embarrassed, shook his head at the silly concept. "No, my mother has the patience of a hen, Ellana has the patience of a bull."

Timothy laughed genuinely, "that so? Then what took _your _fancying?"

"We've been friends since I can remember," Jack replied swiftly, "It just happened. She's beautiful and has a nature that I like."

Timothy studied him for a moment before looking away to watch where his horse was heading. Jack asked Riley to pick up the pace again, momentarily looking behind himself to see the wounds that the hooves had caused in the snow.

"We were, " He began, "always close together and it felt somehow, like it was the right time. God himself must be for it. I just feel all nervous now." He felt his shoulder pang with a little ache, a mischievous reminder of _that _night.

Timothy smiled again, "about getting married? Its good that you are, so young... Not that there is anything wrong with that," Timothy cut himself off at Jack's quizzical glance. "I was thinking of options. How sure are you that this girl is the one you truly love?"

"Very," Jack replied evenly.  
"And if you see a pretty young, lady strolling down the street you wouldn't feel smitten?"

Jack frowned, he wasn't fickle nor fatuous. He knew what Tim was trying to suggest: that maybe Jack was too young to understand the concept of love.

"Ellana is right for me, I see myself with no one else. My feelings are not... mercurial."

A devilish grin then spread itself upon his face as he watched Timothy consider him. Proud of himself for using Ellana's word, he continued, "-and she feels the same way."

Mary had told him what it meant, his pride was too high for him to admit to Ellana that she knew something more than he did. Not because he had anything against her but the simple fact that she would never give it up.

"So you must be anxious of this other place we come to?"

"Yes," Jack agreed, "I've never been further than the lake when it comes to leaving the village.

"So what you know comes from what you read in books?"

Jack cocked his head slightly as he wondered over that question, "There isn't much to read about it. The books I've read are about plants and wildlife, sometimes even the Indians. Though I hear a lot from being quiet."

Jack supplied himself with a means to excuse his eavesdropping.

One thing he would know about Timothy was his smile. He always laughed either genuine or dry. He was usually indignant or not happy when his smile became tight, or a corner upturning one half of his face more so than the other would be when he knew something you did not. Being able to read his face was agitating when the man was feeling like he understood something better; sarcasm.

"I do say that soon those Indians should not be a problem to us soon."

Jack looked at him and he laughed, "when William was killed, we can see it as nothing but a threat. Its an act of war."

Jack only saw it as an excuse though, he frowned, "we don't even know where they are."

"It'll only be a matter of time," Timothy shrugged, "take the cattle going missing, they can't have gone far for twenty Pineywood cattle to be waltzing off with them."

"That's a blow for everyone," Jack admitted solemnly.

"Its a startling one," Timothy huffed, "no one would've thought they'd just do that. We have these sympathisers come n' say how these redskin, bush creatures are good people. Would you believe that?"

Jack fell silent, he was at a loss by this point, mind clouded with what Billy had said.

"Well, I suppose it's convenient for your family," Timothy continued dryly, "with no cattle, suppose the sheep are the best we have."

"Awfully convenient," Jack agreed, suspicion bating his breathe.

Timothy sent him a quizzical glance but Jack shook his head and let the idea roll away from his mind.

Timothy matched the pace and quickly changed the uncomfortable topic, speaking more of the exciting days ahead.

Jack still liked him more than grumpy old Sam Crouch, who's fat bum bounced on poor old Harvest's back as the horse struggled through the snow.

After a while the original ranks were quickly dismantled. Elias always rode upfront. Brennan was relentless. His head was arched in as he eyed the snow with caution before treading down with confidence. The snow seemed to make no obstacle for the large, grey horse.  
The man himself seemed to be away with the clouds and was quite. Isaac had given up speaking to him though mainly because Archie fell back in his paces.

Harvest had fallen to the back, the horse looked agitated about that fact but conceded as Sam had little interest in setting the pace. Jack wondered whether maybe Sam should have had Ben instead of the small horse.

Misfit and Oliver seemed to be surging through the snow like a vain ewe. The mare threw her head high as she struggled through the snow and the man on her back was looking onwards. His nose was pink against the cold.

Timothy seemed to be a few strides short of Jack, who had reined Riley up to trot near Brennan's hindquarters.

The rest of the ride was completely uneventful. They had long passed the lake and passed any trees Jack had seen before. He could not even recognise the very tips of the stretching, wooden skeletons. Behind them was left a track that was a medley of mud and snow where the turf had been drawn out by sinking hooves.

The formidable army of trees stood tall and daunting around them and the sky seemed to be pale with clouds again.

Ellana bent down to pet the lamb, her mother was standing at the doorway holding her grey robes tightly to her tired body.

"I don't want to take him to that old, fat_"

"Ellana!" Mary warned before the girl could continue.  
"I'm sorry mother," Ellana stood sadly, "it's just... we've been feeding him and looking after him, I don't want to see him gone."

"I know," Mary conceded though she looked as if she had better things to be arguing about.

"Please let me keep Stanley, mother!" Ellana begged.

"You named it?" Mary asked looking exasperated, "good lord, Ellana, If I didn't know any better I would assume that you plotted to keep this beast the moment you saw it."

"Plotted is such a devious word mama, makes it sound as if I went behind your back."  
"No, you schemed in that little world you have in your mind, here," Mary grumbled pointing at her own forehead.

"Mother, you sound so angry," Ellana pouted playfully and then protectively hugged the lamb which had grown accustomed to her good nature, "I promise, I won't ask for anything else."

Mary rolled her eyes, giving up completely, "Well, he's your problem, just like everything else is. Sometimes I just don't know what to do with you."

Ellana grinned gleefully and kissed Stanley the Leicester lamb on his soft, velvet muzzle. "I won't let them get you," She promised the lamb in what would be a whisper. The lamb gaped at her blankly and she gave it another gentle peck before ducking away from under the shelter.

Mary found herself rolling her eyes as the girl skipped to her side before the two disappeared into the comforts of the little wooden, cottage.

"Sometimes Ellana, you really do try my patience."  
Ellana frowned, "mother you know I'm grateful."

"Oh, I know you are but I can't wait till you get married and have kids of your own," She waggled her finger, "then you'll be sorry. You'll be saying: _mother! You were right all this time."_

Ellana laughed as her mother began to chuckle and she embraced the woman who sighed softly into her beautiful mane of hair.

"I do love you," Mary told the girl softly.

"And I love you mama," Ellana told Mary.

Mary pulled away and smiled softly at her daughter, "you're father would be so proud... I suppose he would be angry too."

"Why angry?" Ellana asked, tears brimming.

"Because to him, you were always his baby girl," Mary choked on her tears, "now I hope you let that boy take care of you."

"I know he will mother," Ellana sighed, "Lets not talk about papa, we... we always end up crying."

Mary nodded in agreement and slowly drew in a greedy amount of dusty air before her features loosened from the tight reins of grief. Ellana pecked her mother's cheek and smiled lightly, "I'm going to go out mama, what should I go get?"  
"No, no," Mary shook her head , "we have plenty of potatoes left over from the summer. Bread too, but I think its bound to be hard by now."

"I'm sorry, mama," Ellana apologised sadly.

"It's not your fault that your so soft in the heart," Mary smiled, whisking a wild strand of hair away from her cheeks. "You could do me one favour though, Its a little tedious but... I need you to find Billy or at least Harris."

"Why?" Ellana asked curiously.  
"Never you mind," Mary huffed. Ellana's right eyebrow arched condescendingly and Mary found herself telling her anyway, "Well, we have a little problem. One of the beams in the kitchen look rotten. It could be a leak or... or anything. I want to know if the roof could fall in, it has been worrying me for a while."

"But wouldn't Tom know more about that?"

"Tom's wife, Clemmie, why she's taken ill. She's had a horrible cold I said I'd go to see her but Tom was adamant that no-one should see her."

"She must have a horrible illness, I did notice that he looked paler than usual."

"If its pneumonia, I can only understand."  
The two took a moment to fall silent before Ellana stood and reassured her mother, "I'll go get Billy, we want a proper job being done here."

"I'd check the Tavern," Mary advised gravely, "this would be his hour."

Ellana crossed the clearing between the cottage and the other village houses. Lights shone brightly against the shadows of the cold snow. Dark figures loomed in the fog where skinny dog's ears pricked and heads turn to find devious lumps of snow that had fell from the over hanging arches and roofs.

The tavern was always alive with light, even now when the drinks inside were nearly as thin as the water. Everything served as a reminder that Burgess was in an unstable time.  
People were too ill to farm the land around themselves and there hardly ever sprouted new generations as the previous one's began to wither. The town was desperate for more people to tend the lands but then there was not enough food to go around.

There was another factor that caused outsiders to stay clear of the town and it was the audacious Indians. Better known as the Mohingan tribe, the villagers often nicknamed Mohingan members: Redskins because of their deep, clay like skin.

The Mohingan did not like the settlement, it had been placed on their hunting lands (so Ellana had heard).

The Redskins worried Ellana because of their past hauntings; losing the cattle was a sharp knife in the flanks of Burgess. It would take time to recover from the loss and soon the people of the small town would need better quality leather than that which came from the sheep.

Yes, it definitely worried Ellana but there was nothing she could do, surely Elias was going to do something. Maybe the place they were going was a good area to recruit more people to fight or come to the town.  
_We need to show the Redskins that we are no scared, _ Ellana thought to herself wryly. She crossed her arms against the cold and exhaled against the crisp air before watching the cool vapour fade off into the light of day.

Ellana's pace quickened.

The cold day was anything but welcoming to her small frame and so she fled into the warmth of the inn. Several men cared to look her way. In fact there only were a few people in at that time. She supposed everyone with sense would be staying indoors or would be working to earn a pretty penny.

Ellana surveyed the bland scene of wooden table, chairs, kegs and pitchers. There was a tense, subdued atmosphere within the walls of the inn. Ellana could not quite place it. She spotted Billy in the far corner. "Thank the lord," she breathed in relief and set off towards him though Phil's hard tone seemed to cease her motion.

Albert's father, Phil, was hunched over his own pitcher. Albert was to his right and Magwitch sat opposite him. They seemed terribly melancholy. _Go figure, _Ellana thought to herself. Although Eugene's family owned some of the cattle in that stolen herd, Magwitch owned the majority of them, so some of her empathy fell for him.

Either way the men seemed to be gossiping between themselves, speaking bitterly.  
"There is no money here anymore," Phil growled darkly. Albert frowned and sank into his seat, face red with shame.

"The only currency that comes in is what ever Elias and his… his men bring in, but it's nothing much."  
"Oh, that's nothing. I'd be more worries about the food. We have no cows now. What will we do now? Eat sheep? That boy doesn't want anything to do with them and Eugene is too fat anf lazy to care for them, the one's I bought are scabby and thin."

"It's been a hard winter Phil," Magwitch huffed but he didn't seem like he particularily disagreed.

The three of them looked a little unsure before Albert continued, though this time much quieter. Ellana had to subtly lean against a table. A man she knew called Owen asked her if she wanted something to drink. She never thought of the disgruntled huff he made as she waved him down. She was interested very much in what had to be said now.  
"But I've been hearing things you know." Albert told them.

"Not that again," Phil scorned, "it's not worth it."  
"Please, do go on," Magwitch asked avidly.  
"You wouldn't believe me, though," Albert said in a would be whisper, not caring to look around.  
"Tell me then," Magwitch prompted, "what did you hear?"

"Well, It'd do the village in. I was having a pint, minding my own business too. Then they came in and settled down just behind me. Wasn't much but I heard it. Caught my attention when fat-mouthed Sam asked him how he were going to handle it."

Albert leaned closer, "then he said: 'he should just stay away as the little snot weren't officially_"

"Ellana?" Billy asked placing his hand on her shoulder and dragging the young woman from her intense silence, her breath caught.

The inn hadn't gone completely silent, there was a low comfortable murmur. She saw out of the corner of her perceive how the three men whom she'd just been eavesdropping had paused to look at her.  
Albert had an unreadable expression, his brows were furrowed slightly, any other time and Ellana would have told him to look elsewhere.  
"I came looking for you," She recovered quickly.

"Me?" Billy asked and chanced a look at the three men after following her gaze, "I see, what am I needed for, is your mother alright?"  
"Yes," Ellana replied, "one of the support beams look frail, she wants your opinion on it."

"I'll come now, you too," he said and helped her up, he seconded a glance at Albert, it was a dirty one.

"Did you hear what they were talking about?" Ellana asked him worriedly, "there's something weird going on with them."

"Just keep away from it Ellana, don't mind it." Billy told her, his face was terribly grim.  
"Don't be like that," Ellana said, "you can trust me can't you? They said something about Sam, they must mean Crough."

"There is only one other Sam in the Village, Ellana so you're not wrong." Billy added conversationally.

Ellana rubbed her chin in thought, "Albert said 'they' were talking, it doesn't take an idiot to work out that they mean Elias, Billy."  
"I know, I know."

"But you know what they mean don't you?"

Billy was quiet, "Just rumours Ellana, bad one's, these things kick off all th time. Idiots who'll get slapped one of the days."

"What rumours?"

"Just rumours," He replied with deep irritation.  
"My husband to be is with those men, I demand to know what's going on."

"Listen," Billy paused and he glared fully at her, "I'm glad for you two, really but you're both still kids. Keep quiet and docile, forget it and just carry on with life."

He gave her a final glare, the type a wolf gives to silence his pups.

Ellana huffed indignanly, she wouldn't settle with that, she was curious, what's wrong with being curious?

She watched Billy wade through the snow, he was heading to her house and he didn't seem to look back for her.

There was only one way she could solve this and the best person for advice was Lillian. Lillian was married to Eugene and he was the biggest loud mouth in this whole settlement. She'd know something surely.

"I don't think it's anything important." Was all Lillian had to offer, "I think it could be something to do with the indians."

Lilly smiled brightly at Ellana, who was now sitting at the wooden table, Lilly offered her a bowl of something that looked like a watery type of broth and shook her head.

"It's a funny thing though mrs. Verdandi," Ellana prodded, " they were secretive about it."

"Rumours start out like that," Lilly offered kindly, "and their a horrble thing... rumours."

"What if it weren't a rumour though?" Ellana asked, "He said it would be bad for the village."

"It'd be bad for the people involved," Lilly agreed gravely, looking elsewhere.  
"But there's no need to speculate. I think whatever has been said is said. It's not important, so just forget it while your still young."

"It could effect Jack though..."

"Ellana please," Lilly shook her head, "let it be. All things come when the time is right. Good or bad but now... lets forget it."

"That's what Billy said," Ellana replied deadpanned.

"Well, Billy is smart, doesn't get into trouble," Lilly seemed to think for a moment before chuckling, "much. Anyway," She sobered, "I'm tired, Jack will be back four days from now.. he said. Maybe you can discuss it with him?"

"Maybe," Ellana agreed, standing up from her seat, "thank you for the broth anyway. I'll see you around Mrs, Verdandi."  
"Just call me Lilly sweetheart, everone does."

On that note, Ellana left, still curious with so many questions buzzing in her mind.

A day later as the sun shone it's last lights across the sky, Elias, Jack and the rest of the group were riding into the Ohnera Village. The first thing Jack saw that caught his eye was the great vast waster that seemed to disapear into the darkness.  
He guessed that it must have been the biggest lake in the countrey. The sun was falling on the far end of it... wherever that was.  
"That's the sea," Elias said.

Jack passed a glance at him. "The sea?"

"It goes on, to England... to other undiscovered places." The man shrugged and he kicked brennan forwards.

There were docks too! Massive boats that stood on the water. They were bigger than Jack's house, they would compare to the size of Burgess. His mouth was agape, Sam told him to close it else he'd catch flies.

Then there were the houses, rows and rows of wood. People sauntered around. There weren't many but Jack put that down to the fact it was night. Men armed with pointed weapons marched passed, all in a tight red uniform.

"You want to keep away from them," Ike advised as he rode to the side of Jack, "their trouble makers."

"What do you mean?" Jack asked innocently.

"Just a little disagreement by the colonists of England with those of France and Spain, pay no mind."

"Why doesn't the village know about it," Jack mused aloud.

"It'd cause panic for one and nobody is sure whether war would brake out, even if it did, Burgess is too far inland for it to affect them," Ike offered.

_War, _Jack pondered gravely, _That'd be all Burgess would ever need. _

"Well lets get moving, find a place to bed the horses and get some shut eye," Elias suggested with a cheery tone.

Timothy road alongside him, "come on, I've slept on the ground for two days now, your all holding me up from a good night's sleep."

They rode the horses down several streets. Elias knew exactly where he was going buyt Jack supposed that it was only to be expected. They usually did leave to come over this way every so often.

However, the dorm they lent wasn't as private as Jack previously thought. It was a simple open room at the top of stairs. Not exactly fancy, it reminded him of home, everything seemed so makeshift.

There was a smell of dampness, that came from the wood.

He lay away in a low bed.

Elias, Ike, Oliver and Sam had all stayed downstairs to buy drinks. They'd come stumbling up sometime, Sam was very intoxicated. Jack could hear his heavy steps and curses before he reached the top of the stairs. Elias was supporting him with one arm and Ike seened to be causing more damage then good as he sidled toward their appointed beds.

He supposed it was quiet comical in a way. Elias flopped down on his own. Rolling onto his back and kicking away his boots. He peered at a letter in the candle light and smiled to himself.

"Why are you so happy?" Jack asked in a bored fashion.  
The man had to catch himself, he stuttered and pulled the letter away, "Wha? I thought you were asleep."

Jack chuckled dryly, "Couldn't with the amount of noise you were all making, Timothy was talking in his sleep, he's going to kill you."  
"Oh he does it all the time..." Elias muttered and brushed his hand through his hair.

"So you get your darn horse tomorrow, I hope all this was worth it."

"Me too," Jack agreed.  
"Don't you go buy a goat, that'd upset me."

Jack would have replied but Elias was fast asleep. He sighed to himself softly.  
Nevermind.

The next day came far too quickly. Jack was still tired. He didn't want to get up but he did because everyone else had.

Sam Crouch was in a foul mood. If it were possible, he was in a worse mood than he usually was. He was especially angry when Isaac tipped his bed over and poured water over his face. So mad that he went to kill Ike, not literally but it was his original intention.  
"Their like kids," Elias sighed to himself, rubbing his eyes and standing, up. "I'm going to head down."

The rest trudged after him but there was something that caught his eye. Elias had left something. It was the small letter from last night.

Elias must have dropped it when he spooked. Jack picked it up and noticed that the paper was lightly torn and paled.

_I mustn't, _Jack thought as he suddenly felt the urge to turn it over and read it.  
"Hurry up," Timothy called from the bottom of the stairs to the inn.

Jack took a last glance of the letter, thinking to give it back to Elias and pocketing it quickly to retrieve his small bag that he left at the bottom of the bed.

He met Tim at the bottom of the stairs. The man stretched and almost purred, "That was a good sleep, all those idiots stayed awake till midnight."

_Yeah... those idiots, _ Jack thought grudgingly.

"They've went straight on, I'll take you to the market and their going to meet us there."

"Where have they gone?"

"Oh, they go off to buy some stuff. Anything really s'long as it's cheap."

So Jack went to the market with Timothy. They saw all kinds of things. It made the tiny market at home look like a single stall. Here they sold cattle, pigs, chickens, horses and produce.  
"wow," Jack smiled, "Is it like this everyday?"

"Not on a sunday, this is like a nearlly end of winter. These people need that last little bit of cash to get through the rest of this damned season," Timothy told him, "just Burgess but bigger really."

They passed all sorts of horses; bays, greys, blacks and a few piebalds but nothing that Jack really cared for. Timothy was starting to get a little worried that Jack wasn't going to even bother. They passed a man who begged for money and before Jack could think to slip his hand into his coin purse, Timothy led him away.  
"You get a lot of beggars," He told him, "Don't give them money or they start to flock."

"But he had no money." Jack pointed out.  
"His own fault, He could muck out a stable for someone, plenty of work if you look hard enough."

Jack wondered about that and realised that they were now at the end of all the stalls, "Haven't seen a single one you like?" Timothy asked, he looked annoyed.  
"Out of all this?"

The market was too loud, people were shouting out bargains or to buy something. Jack frowned at them before Sam found them and waddled over. "we were just looking for you two," Sam huffed, "too cold to stand around."

"Jack ain't picked a horse," Timothy said, "we're going to have another walk through."

"Don't worry," Elias said and Jack turned around.  
"We beat you to it, Jack," Oliver chuckled.

On the end of the rope that did not have elias on it was a fair sized horse. He stood at about 157 cm. He was a dappled grey with no particular markings. A decent lookin horse with a slightly concave body, a short and well defined jaw with a pronounced but improminent wither.  
The horse looked keenly at Jack who stared blankly back.  
"I saw him and he was already about to be sold, luckily the guy weren't that interested. He's a bit of a baby I suppose," Elias reported, "I'm not sure whether you want him or not."

"He's great, I think he's the right one, is he backed?" Jack asked robotically.  
"Yes, hunted and everything. He's four so he's still a youngster, he's worked but he hasn't seen proper work yet. I instantly thought of you."  
Jack wasn't sure whether he should take that as a compliment but he smiled anyway, "Thank you. How much-"

"Nothing, he's a nag, you might want to get another when you're a bit older."

"Nothing?"

"It's on me." Elias said firmly, refusing any means of payment, "Now go take him to the stables at the inn."

"Thank you so much, I don't know how I could repay you," Jack began to splutter.  
"Please don't," Elias refused, "Go or he'll spoil in the cold."  
"His jaw was thick and tight as if something were hurting him but Jaack nodded gratefully and led his new steed away.

"That's no nag," Timothy said after a moment.  
"No," Elias sighed it's no nag."

**Sue me, another cliff hanger :/ I know, I am very sorry it took so long to update. Any way Exams end after this second week and then it is just two weeks in June where I'll be dying. I'm current;y in a state because I don't know where I am going to find £100 to pay to keep my horse and I can't sell her because she's all I have.**

Not sure why life hates me so much at the moment :( Anyway I love you all. Please tell me your thoughts even if it is just to shout at me.  


**Review and rate please :) **


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